Abstract: An apparatus, method and software arrangement for imaging a surface of a structure that is in contact with an opaque fluid is provided. The apparatus includes an article of manufacture (e.g., a housing), a fluid delivery arrangement and an imaging arrangement. The housing includes an aperture formed in the article of manufacture. The fluid delivery arrangement is configured to deliver a volume of substantially transparent fluid to the aperture formed in the housing. The imaging arrangement is configured to image the surface of the structure using an imaging modality after the volume of the transparent fluid is delivered to the aperture, wherein the imaging arrangement and/or the article of manufacture is translated along the surface of the structure while imaging the surface of the structure.

Abstract: Access needles and methods of using the needles are set forth in this disclosure. The needles can include a handle and a cannula having a proximal end operatively connected to the handle, a distal end, and a lumen extending through the body of the cannula. A protective sheath may surround the cannula. Further, a stylet may be removably disposed within the lumen of the cannula. The stylet includes a piercing tip at a distal end and a flexible body length extending proximally from the piercing tip to the handle. The flexible body of the stylet provides a path of fluid communication through the lumen of the cannula such that a contrast fluid can effectively pass through the lumen of the cannula. Methods of introducing cannulas to target locations within a body of a patient are also set forth in this disclosure.

Abstract: A method for imaging a cavitation bubble includes producing a vibratory wave that induces a cavitation bubble in a medium, producing one or more detection waves directed toward the induced cavitation bubble, receiving one or more reflection waves, identifying a change in one or more characteristics of the induced cavitation bubble, and generating an image of the induced cavitation bubble using a computing device on the basis of the identified change in the one or more characteristics. The one or more received reflection waves correspond to at least one of the one or more produced detection waves reflection from the induced cavitation bubble. The identified change in one or more characteristics corresponds to the one or more received reflection waves.

Abstract: A first interface of a media-adventitia interface and a second interface of a lumen-intima interface are specified on the basis of reflected waveform data in an n-th frame, a first interface of a media-adventitia interface and second interfaces of a lumen-intima interface are specified on the basis of reflected waveform data in an m-th frame, a first interface displacement amount and second interface displacement amounts between the n-th and m-th frames are determined, a reference displacement amount is calculated from the same reflected waveform data by phase difference tracking as the displacement amount of a vascular wall, and evaluation values for evaluating interface specification credibility are calculated from the first interface displacement amount, the second interface displacement amounts, and the reference displacement amount.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the position of a surgical tool relative to a target volume inside an animal body according to a pre-plan comprising the steps of i) obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional images of said target volume using imaging means, each 2D-image being represented by an image data slice I(x,y,z); ii) reconstructing from said plurality of image data slices I(x,y,z) a three-dimensional image of said target volume using transformation means, said 3D-image being represented by a volumetric image data array V(x,y,z); iii) displaying said three-dimensional image of said target volume to an user using displaying means.

Abstract: Rotational intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments are directed to transducer mounting configurations that enable polymer piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) to be used with a Doppler color flow rotational IVUS imaging system. In one embodiment, a rotational intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) device includes: a flexible elongate body; a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) coupled to a distal portion of the flexible elongate body; and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to the distal portion of the flexible elongate body. The ASIC is electrically coupled to the PMUT and includes a pulser, an amplifier, a protection circuit, and timing and control circuitry for coordinating operation of the pulser, amplifier, and protection circuit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electronic therapy device including automatic controlled application of energies along with feedback control using sensors for improved synergistic effects and further the device is configured to be used for longer periods of time for improved and optimal therapeutic results without causing any adverse effects, the device can be used for pain management, healing, fitness, cosmetic and topical delivery related applications and a method for performing electronic therapy using the said portable electronic device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for MRI retrospective reconstruction determines a period of minimal coronary artery motion within the acquired temporal window with a rotation angle optimized for a K-space four-dimensional (4D) volume by a segmented 4D radial stack-of-stars (SOS) acquisition during a temporal acquisition window (taw). Radial stacks of the image of an object are acquired by performing the radial (SOS) acquisition to determine a plurality of kz plane samples of the object, in which each kz plane is repeatedly determined during a sub-window of the temporal acquisition window. Consecutive volumes of kz centric slices of the image at each temporal sub-window of the temporal acquisition window are generated and summed to fill a 3D k-space volume. The radial (SOS) acquisition of the image is determined utilizing a customized rotation angle ? providing a uniform distribution of k-space spokes of the kz centric slices for each sub-window of the (taw).

Abstract: An imaging system collects a plurality of images of an extremity of a subject, each collected at a unique spectral band. A physiologic arterial parameter of the extremity is determined from the plurality of images upon image registration. A record of the physiological arterial parameter is recorded in an electronic data store and an indication of the parameter is outputted. The method is performed by a medical professional associated with a temporal clinical expenditure cost in an epoch, for an entity. The product of the (i) epoch and the (ii) temporal clinical expenditure cost is less than a difference between (a) an average or absolute reimbursement associated with the current procedural terminology code by the entity and (b) incidental expenditures associated with the performance of the method.

Abstract: Systems and methods employing a small gauge steerable catheter (30) including a locatable guide (32) with a sheath (40), particularly as an enhancement to a bronchoscope (14). A typical procedure is as follows. The location of a target in a reference coordinate system is detected or imported. The catheter (30) is navigated to the target which tracking the distal tip (34) of the guide (32) in the reference coordinate system. Insertion of the catheter is typically via a working channel of a convention bronchoscope. Once the tip of the catheter is positioned at the target, the guide (32) is withdrawn, leaving the sheath (40) secured in place. The sheath (40) is then used as a guide channel to direct a medical tool to target.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a balloon adapted to be placed adjacent a calcified region of a body. The balloon is inflatable with a liquid. The apparatus further includes a shock wave generator within the balloon that produces shock waves that propagate through the liquid for impinging upon the calcified region adjacent the balloon. The shock wave generator includes a plurality of shock wave sources distributed within the balloon.

Abstract: Even when electroacoustic conversion elements with high nonlinearity are employed, a nonlinear imaging is carried out with extracting more nonlinear components. An ultrasonic wave beam is transmitted twice from the transmitter to an identical position on the imaging target, and the signal processor performs computation on the reception signals obtained in every transmission performed twice, thereby extracting a nonlinear component included in the reception signals. In one transmission out of the transmission performed twice, the transmitter delivers the transmission signal to all of multiple electroacoustic conversion elements for driving the electroacoustic conversion elements, and in the other transmission, the transmission signal is delivered selectively only to a part of the multiple electroacoustic conversion elements for driving the electroacoustic conversion elements.

Abstract: A sensor plaster (116) for the transcutaneous measurement of an organ function, more particularly of a kidney function, is proposed. The sensor plaster (116) comprises at least one flexible carrier element (134) having at least one adhesive surface (138) which can be stuck onto a body surface. Furthermore, the sensor plaster (116) comprises at least one radiation source, more particularly a light source (142), wherein the radiation source is designed to irradiate the body surface with at least one interrogation light (162). Furthermore, the sensor plaster (116) comprises at least one detector (146) designed to detect at least one response light (176) incident from the direction of the body surface.

Abstract: A method of measuring the relative position of a bone implant within a bone in a patient to detect movement between the implant and bone is provided, wherein one or more radiopaque bone markers have been implanted into the bone through a cannulated implant within the bone and one or more radiopaque implant markers have been implanted into the implant. The method comprises: i) determining a first relative position of the bone marker to the implant marker under a first parameter; and ii) determining a second relative position of the bone marker to the implant marker under a second parameter, wherein a change in the position of the bone marker relative to the implant marker from the first relative position to the second relative position is indicative of movement of either the implant or the bone.

Abstract: A patient support assembly for use in a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanner includes a first and a second patient support structure and a first and a second imaging coil. The patient support assembly provides support for multiple anatomical regions being imaged, improving patient comfort during the procedure. Access to the patient is improved by: providing a flexible coil that wraps around at least one of the anatomical regions being imaged, providing a support structure open to the anterior region of the anatomical region being imaged, and providing a support structure that may be opened and closed about the anatomical region being imaged. The patient support assembly also aligns the two imaging coils to minimize interference between coils during imaging.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of apparatus, method and system for determining a position on or in a biological tissue can be provided. For example, using such exemplary embodiment, it is possible to control the focus of an optical imaging probe. In another exemplary embodiment, it is possible to implement a marking apparatus together with or into an optical imaging probe. According to one exemplary embodiment, it is possible (using one or more arrangements) to receive information associated with at least one image of at least one portion of the biological tissue obtained using an optical imaging technique. Further, it is possible to, based on the information, cause a visible change on or in at least location of the portion(s) using at least one electro-magnetic radiation.

Abstract: Ultrasound methods and/or systems provide for the motion tracking of both vessel wall motion and blood flow (e.g., with use of high frame rate ultrasound pulse echo data and speckle tracking both wall motion and flow can be tracked simultaneously).

Abstract: Systems and methods for visualizing fluid enhanced ablation therapy are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for ablating tissue is provided that includes inserting an elongate body into a tissue volume, heating an imageable fluid within the elongate body to transform the imageable fluid into an imageable therapeutic fluid, delivering the imageable therapeutic fluid into the tissue volume to deliver a therapeutic dose of thermal energy to the tissue volume, and imaging the tissue volume to determine the extent of the tissue volume containing the imageable therapeutic fluid. The imageable therapeutic fluid can indicate the extent of the tissue volume that has received the therapeutic dose of thermal energy.

Abstract: A system and method for non-invasively generating a report of cardiac electrical activities of a subject includes determining, using cardiac electrical activation information, equivalent current densities (ECDs). The ECDs are assembled into time-course ECD information and a spectrum of the time-course ECD information is analyzed to determine peaks for spectral characteristics of atrial fibrillation (AF). The spectral characteristics of AF are correlated with potential electrical sources of the AF and a report is generated indicating the potential electrical sources of the AF spatially registered with the medical imaging data.

Abstract: A subject information obtaining apparatus includes a plurality of conversion elements configured to receive an elastic wave that has propagated from a subject and convert the elastic wave into a plurality of electrical signals, a frequency-domain interferometry adaptive processing unit configured to execute a frequency-domain interferometry method and adaptive signal processing using the plurality of electrical signals and obtain power intensity distribution by calculating power intensity at each position on a plurality of scan lines, and a correction unit configured to execute a correction process by which variation in power intensity between adjacent scan lines in a direction that intersects with the scan lines is reduced.