Patents Examined by Irakli Kiknadze
  • Patent number: 11942232
    Abstract: An x-ray scanning system, and corresponding method, includes an x-ray source that produces incident x-ray radiation having end-point x-ray energy, which, in various embodiments, can be greater than about 200 keV, between about 200 keV and about 500 keV, or greater than about 500 keV. The system also includes a disk chopper wheel that can be irradiated by and attenuate the incident x-ray radiation. The disk chopper wheel further defines one or more slits configured to pass the incident x-ray radiation through the disk chopper wheel for scanning a target. In some embodiments, the high end-point x-ray energies with disk chopper wheels are facilitated by forming the incident x-ray radiation as a collimated fan beam and/or orienting the chopper wheel with a wheel plane substantially non-perpendicular to a fan beam plane, increasing effective thickness of a disk chopper wheel to attenuate incident x-rays of higher energies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Viken Detection Corporation
    Inventor: Peter John Rothschild
  • Patent number: 11937957
    Abstract: Apparatuses (devices, systems) and methods for shielding (protecting) surroundings around periphery of regions of interest located inside objects (e.g., patients) from radiation emitted by X-ray systems towards the objects. Apparatus includes: at least one radiation shield assembly including a support base connectable to an X-ray system radiation source or detector, and a plurality of radiation shield segments sequentially positioned relative to the support base, thereby forming a contiguous radiopaque screen configured for spanning around the region of interest periphery with a radiopaque screen edge opposing the object. Radiation shield segments are individually, actively controllable to extend or contract to selected lengths with respective free ends in directions away from or towards the support base(s), for locally changing contour of the radiopaque screen edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Radiaction Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan Yifat, Amir Belson, Amichay Gross
  • Patent number: 11925494
    Abstract: An imaging system is disclosed. The imaging system is operable to acquire and/or generate image data at positions relative to a subject. The imaging system includes a drive system configured to move the imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Garlow, Robert P. Cloutier, John T. Hickey
  • Patent number: 11921058
    Abstract: A computer-tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising an imaging data acquisition system. The imaging data acquisition system includes a plurality of sets of a detector section, a storage section, and an aggregation section. The detector section includes a plurality of detector elements each being configured to convert radiation into electric signals. The aggregation section is configured to aggregate imaging data carried by the electronic signals from the detector section. The storage section is connected with an output of the detector section and an input of the aggregation section. The storage section comprises a predetermined number of non-volatile memories to store the imaging data from the corresponding detector elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Lawrence Begelman, Kevin Zimmerman, Thomas Labno, John Baumgart
  • Patent number: 11920630
    Abstract: A self-lubricated sliding bearing for a rotary X-ray tube comprises a first bearing member, a second bearing member configured to concentrically enclose a portion of the first bearing member, and a lubricant comprised in a gap between cooperating surfaces of the first bearing member and the second bearing member. The cooperating surface of the second bearing member or the first bearing member comprises a first region comprising a pumping pattern configured to pump the lubricant. The cooperating surface of the second bearing member or the first bearing member comprises a second region having a modified pumping pattern or a smooth surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Herbert Blome, Willem Potze
  • Patent number: 11911195
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a visual indicator system, attachable to a medical imaging patient bed. The visual indicator system comprising: one or more light strips, each light strip comprising a plurality of lights; a distance meter, attachable to one end of the medical imaging patient bed; a storage device, configured to store one or more preconfigured finger gestures; and a microcontroller. The one or more light strips are attachable to the medical imaging patient bed; wherein the microcontroller is configured to illuminate the one or more light strips after the one or more preconfigured finger gestures are made with respect to the one or more light strips. A position of the illumination of the light strip corresponds to a position of performing the one or more preconfigured finger gestures and one or more distance measurements received from the distance meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Fritsch, Ansgar Graw, Michael Zochowski, Evan Qi, William Danziger, Benedict Donahue, Patanit Sanpitak
  • Patent number: 11907812
    Abstract: A data generating method includes: an atomic model generating step of generating one or more three-dimensional atomic models corresponding to a nanomaterial to be measured; a three-dimensional data generating step of generating three-dimensional atomic level structure volume data corresponding to the nanomaterial to be measured based on the one or more three-dimensional atomic model; a tilt series generating step of generating a tilt series by simulating three-dimensional tomography for a plurality of different angles in a predetermined angle range for at least some of the three-dimensional atomic level structure volume data; and a three-dimensional atomic structure tomogram volume data generating step of generating a three-dimensional atomic structure tomogram volume data set by performing three-dimensional reconstruction on at least some of the three-dimensional atomic level structure volume data based on the tilt series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yongsoo Yang, Juhyeok Lee, Chaehwa Jeong
  • Patent number: 11904181
    Abstract: Methods and systems for selection of dosimetry levels and sphere amounts of radioactive compounds for use in a radioembolization procedure for procedure planning may include inputting activity parameter information into a dosimetry portal of a dosimetry selection tool; determining a customized activity based on the activity parameter information and one or more customized activity algorithms; generating one or more sphere amount and dosage recommendations based on the customized activity and one or more dosimetry selection algorithms; selecting one of the one or more sphere amount and dosage recommendations as a selected sphere amount and dosage recommendation; and generating a radioactive compound order for the radioembolization procedure based on the customized activity and the selected sphere amount and dosage recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
    Inventors: Casey Tyler Hebert, Mark Nicholas Wright, Lee Pusateri, Christopher Basciano, Sivaramakrishnan Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 11896412
    Abstract: A method and a device of controlling the position of the X-ray tube of a computed tomography (CT) system may include: acquiring an AP signal output by an AP sensor of the CT system, an IP signal output by an IP sensor and encoder data output by a motor, determining a homing positioning signal AP0 of the AP signal based on the AP signal and the IP signal, where the homing positioning signal AP0 is used to determine the starting point of the period of rotation of the X-ray tube, utilizing the encoder data to calculate the encoder data containing AP signal based on the determined homing positioning signal AP0, where the encoder data containing AP signal is the AP signal processed by use of the encoder data, and controlling the position of the X-ray tube based on the encoder data containing AP signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Ying Li Wang, Jin Hua Ding, Jian Zhang, Jia Peng Zhu
  • Patent number: 11902695
    Abstract: A control apparatus that controls, using automatic exposure control of controlling a radiation generation apparatus by comparing a radiation dose from the radiation generation apparatus with a target dose, radiation imaging using radiation from the radiation generation apparatus, comprises a processing unit that executes image processing on a radiation image obtained by the radiation imaging; and a setting unit that sets, as the target dose used in the automatic exposure control, a dose which is changed in accordance with an image processing parameter for executing the image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Omi
  • Patent number: 11896851
    Abstract: A method of radiation therapy comprises, while a gantry of a radiation therapy system rotates continuously in a first direction through a treatment arc from a first treatment delivery position to a second treatment delivery position, causing an imaging X-ray source mounted on the gantry to direct X-rays through a target volume and receiving a set of X-ray projection images from an X-ray imager mounted on the gantry; determining a current location of the target volume based on the set of X-ray projection images; and while the gantry to continues to rotate to the second treatment delivery position, initiating delivery of a treatment beam of a treatment-delivering X-ray source mounted on the gantry to the target volume, and continuing to cause the gantry to rotate in the first direction from the second treatment delivery position to a third treatment delivery position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: John Van Heteren, Liangjia Zhu, Daniel Morf
  • Patent number: 11890126
    Abstract: A controller (50) is provided with: an orientation determination unit (51) configured to determine an orientation of a subject; a protocol acquisition unit (52); an annotation processing unit (53) configured to perform annotation; a difference determination unit (54) configured to determine whether the currently selected protocol and the orientation of the subject determined by the orientation determination unit (51) are inconsistent with each other; and a warning unit (55) configured to issue a warning and an imaging prohibition unit (56) configured to prohibit imaging when the difference determination unit (54) determines that the currently selected protocol among the protocols acquired by the protocol acquisition unit (52) and the orientation of the subject determined by the orientation determination unit (51) are inconsistent with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 11883227
    Abstract: A power system and method for powering an imaging system. The power system and method include a power distribution unit (PDU) coupled to an imaging system gantry. An input of the PDU is electrically coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source from a utility power supply. An output of the PDU is electrically coupled to the imaging system gantry. The power system and method further include an energy storage system providing peak power to an X-ray generator of the imaging system during X-ray generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventor: Goutam Maji
  • Patent number: 11887803
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an X-ray tube, comprising a cathode and an anode, the cathode and anode being accommodated in a housing which provides a vacuum environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Xiao Dong, Zhen Neng Zhang, Da Peng Hao, Qi Zhou
  • Patent number: 11883218
    Abstract: An anatomical imaging system comprising: a CT machine; and a transport mechanism mounted to the base of the CT machine, wherein the transport mechanism comprises a fine movement mechanism for moving the CT machine precisely, relative to the patient, during scanning. An anatomical imaging system comprising: a CT machine; and a transport mechanism mounted to the base of the CT machine, wherein the transport mechanism comprises: a gross movement mechanism for transporting the CT machine relatively quickly across room distances; and a fine movement mechanism for moving the CT machine precisely, relative to the patient, during scanning. An imaging system comprising: a scanner; and a transport mechanism mounted to the base of the scanner, wherein the transport mechanism comprises: a gross movement mechanism for transporting the scanner relatively quickly across room distances; and a fine movement mechanism for moving the scanner precisely, relative to the object being scanned, during scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NeuroLogica Corp.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Tybinkowski, Eric M. Bailey, Daniel Allis
  • Patent number: 11879722
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a method, or the like, for estimating the convergence of dimensional changes in a molded article over time, by utilizing the polarization intensity of terahertz waves. The present invention provides a method for estimating the convergence of changes in the dimensions of a molded article over time, the method comprising: irradiating a molded article with terahertz waves at multiple positions thereon, wherein the molded article is irradiated with the terahertz waves at each position thereon in multiple orientations about the optical axis; measuring polarization intensities of the terahertz waves transmitted through or reflected from the molded article; and determining whether the polarization intensities at the multiple positions are in a given relationship with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: IIDA Co., Ltd., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Shigeo Miyake, Yusuke Kajihara, Shuichi Nowatari, Seiichiro Iwasaki, Junya Nowatari
  • Patent number: 11872068
    Abstract: The X-ray imager combines a pulsed X-ray source with a time-sensitive X-ray detector to provide a measure of ballistic photons with a reduction of scattered photons. The imager can provide a comparable contrast-to-noise X-ray image using significantly less radiation exposure than conventional X-ray imagers, notably about half of the radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Rejean Fontaine, Julien Rossignol, Yves Bérubé-Lauzière
  • Patent number: 11872165
    Abstract: An aerodynamic rail cover for an operating room with laminar airflow is provided. The rail cover comprises a rail cover component configured to be movably attached to a support rail of a ceiling mounted support arrangement of a medical imaging system. The rail cover component comprises a base element and an air guiding surface element connected to the base element. The base element is configured to be attached to a portion of the support rail of the ceiling mounted support arrangement. The air guiding surface element forms an air guide to be mounted at least temporarily to cover a portion of the support rail of the ceiling mounted support arrangement. The air guiding surface element comprises two surface parts that extend from starting edges on opposite sides of the base element to a common trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Cornelis Pieter Bakker, Nikolai Chikovskii, Maikel Van Eekelen
  • Patent number: 11857804
    Abstract: A method (100) is disclosed for determining a medical imaging schedule for a subject receiving treatment at a target site. The method comprises obtaining (102) first blood panel information from a first blood sample acquired from the subject prior to the treatment commencing; obtaining (104) initial imaging data acquired in respect of the target site prior to the treatment commencing; obtaining (106) information regarding the treatment being received; and determining (108), based on at least the first blood panel information, the initial imaging data and the treatment information, a time at which to capture first imaging data in respect of the target site in order to assess a response to the treatment. A system and a computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Pedro Jorge Da Silva Rodrigues, Vanda Lúcia de Carvalho Vitorino De Almeida, Reinhold Wimberger Friedl
  • Patent number: 11850446
    Abstract: A radiotherapy apparatus adapted for use with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, the radiotherapy apparatus comprising a linear accelerator, the linear accelerator including an electron source. In the linear accelerator electrons which are introduced by the source are accelerated to impact on a target and produce a beam of radiotherapeutic radiation. The linear accelerator has an accelerator waveguide within which the electrons are accelerated and an external waveguide enclosure; this enclosure extends substantially continuously over the accelerator waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ELEKTA LIMITED
    Inventors: Ian Shinton, Janusz Harasimowicz, George Chadwick, Paul Dixon