Patents Examined by Jeffrey G. Hoekstra
  • Patent number: 11116474
    Abstract: Ultrasound adaptive imaging methods and/or systems provide for modification of waveform generation to drive a plurality of transducer elements. The modification may be based on at least one of contrast ratio or signal to noise ratio as determined with respect to control points in a region of interest. Further, image reconstruction may be performed upon separating, from pulse echo data received, at least a portion thereof received at each ultrasound transducer element from the region of interest in response to the delivered ultrasound energy corresponding to a single frequency of one or more image frequencies within a transducer apparatus bandwidth. The image reconstructed from the separated pulse-echo data corresponding to the single frequency of the one or more image frequencies may be used alone or combined with like image data (e.g., to provide an image representative of one or more properties in the region of interest).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Emad S. Ebbini, Dalong Liu, Andrew J. Casper
  • Patent number: 11071518
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus (24) images an introduction element (17) like a needle or a catheter for performing a biopsy or a brachytherapy. The introduction element (17) includes at least one ultrasound receiver (21) arranged at a known location. An ultrasound probe (12) for being inserted into a living being (2) emits ultrasound signals for acquiring ultrasound data of an inner part (19) of the living being (2). A first tracking unit (3) tracks the location of the introduction element (17) based on a reception of the emitted ultrasound signals by the at least one ultrasound receiver (21). An imaging unit (4) generates an indicator image showing the inner part (19) and an indicator of the introduction element (17) based on the tracked location. A display (5) displays the indicator image providing feedback about the location of the introduction element (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Amir Mohammad Tahmasebi Maraghoosh, Shyam Bharat, Ameet Kumar Jain, Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon, Ehsan Dehghan Marvast
  • Patent number: 11071591
    Abstract: A method of modeling lungs of a patient includes acquiring computed tomography data of a patient's lungs, storing a software application within a memory associated with a computer, the computer having a processor configured to execute the software application, executing the software application to differentiate tissue located within the patient's lung using the acquired CT data, generate a 3-D model of the patient's lungs based on the acquired CT data and the differentiated tissue, apply a material property to each tissue of the differentiated tissue within the generated 3-D model, generate a mesh of the 3-D model of the patient's lungs, calculate a displacement of the patient's lungs in a collapsed state based on the material property applied to the differentiated tissue and the generated mesh of the generated 3-D model, and display a collapsed lung model of the patient's lungs based on the calculated displacement of the patient's lungs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Joe D. Sartor, Arlen K. Ward, Francesca Rossetto, Ramesh Raghupathy, Srikara V. Peelukhana
  • Patent number: 11033193
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting element that emits light, and a wiring substrate that includes a light reflective reflecting electrode to which the light emitting element is bonded using a bonding material. The reflecting electrode has a reflecting region which reflects light emitted from the light emitting element. An area of a mounting region surrounded by an outer circumference of the reflecting region is greater than an area of the light emitting element by four times or more seen in a direction perpendicular to the wiring substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigemitsu Koike
  • Patent number: 11000244
    Abstract: A capsule for measuring motility of a target area and a method for making the capsule are provided. The capsule comprises a capsule enclosure and a plurality of identification markers to be placed inside of the capsule enclosure. Each identification marker has a weight of Wm, being comprised of a first element, which can be visible and imaged under X-ray, having a weight of W1. Each identification marker comprises a second element, which cannot be imaged under X-ray, having a weight of W2; and a third element, which is a number of cavities. When the first element is viewed under X-ray, at least two views of the first element is identical. The weight of each identification marker Wm=W1+W2; and when there is a weight change in the first element or in the second element, the shape, number and/or sizes of the cavities are adjusted and accommodated so that the weight of the identification marker is at a target value, which characterized by that each identification marker has a density between 1.0-1.7 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ankon Medical Technologies (Shanghai) Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaodong Duan, Hongjiao Song
  • Patent number: 10973433
    Abstract: A post-processing leakage correction system and method that accounts for bidirectional contrast agent transport between the intravascular and interstitial spaces that commonly occurs in angiogenic high-grade gliomas without a substantial increase in post-processing computation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Benjamin Ellingson, Kevin Leu
  • Patent number: 10959706
    Abstract: Provided herein is a phantom capable of mimicking both a dense breast and a fatty breast. A phantom for ultrasound measurement includes: a first member that mimics an object of interest for measurement; and a second member having provided therein the first member. The second member has the property to decrease its sound speed with a temperature increase brought by external temperature control. The sound speed of the second member at a predetermined temperature is equal to the sound speed of a third member surrounding the second member. The first member and the second member are immiscible with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuro Suzuki, Kenichi Kawabata, Takahide Terada, Yushi Tsubota, Wenjing Wu, Kazuhiro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10953111
    Abstract: A capsule for measuring motility of a target area is provided. An article of manufacture for measuring motility of a target area, comprises a first capsule and a second capsule. The first capsule comprises a first capsule enclosure; a first identification marker, having a weight of Wm1, wherein the first identification marker comprises a first visible element under X-ray, substantially circular shaped and having an outer diameter of A. The second capsule comprises a second capsule enclosure; a second identification marker, having a weight of Wm2, wherein the second identification marker comprises a second visible element under X-ray, substantially circular shaped and having an outer diameter of B. The first capsule enclosure and second capsule enclosure are substantially identical under all measurements in digestive behaviors; the weight of the first identification marker Wm1 and the weight of the second identification marker Wm2 differs less than 0.01 g; A is less than B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ankon Medical Technologies (Shanghai) Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaodong Duan, Hongjiao Song
  • Patent number: 10945706
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound probe is described having a mechanical transducer, rotating mirror and mirror motor. The transducer can be used for diagnostic imaging and procedural guidance imaging. The probe has a light weight design for easy one handed use, and can use external processors to provide proper image display with accompanying software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Inventors: Jari Huhtamaki, Tuomo Liedes, Tanar Ulric, Craig Bockenstedt, Blake Little, Trygve Burchardt
  • Patent number: 10945801
    Abstract: A surgical apparatus includes a surgical device and a surgical controller. The surgical device is configured to be manipulated by a user to perform a soft tissue cutting procedure on a patient. The surgical controller is programmed to create a virtual object representing an anatomy of the patient based upon data acquired during a pre-operative scan and associate the virtual object with the anatomy of the patient. The surgical controller is also programmed to identify a plurality of soft tissue attachment points on the virtual object which correspond to a plurality of soft tissue attachment points on the anatomy of the patient. The surgical controller is also programmed to determine the location of the surgical device in relation to the anatomy of the patient and provide real-time visualization on the virtual object of the location of the surgical device in relation to the anatomy of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Todd Borus, Carinne Cecile Granchi
  • Patent number: 10939895
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing three-dimensional ultrasound images of a volume (50) and an ultrasound imaging system (10). In particular, the current invention applies to live three-dimensional imaging. To maintain a steady frame rate of the displayed images even if a user changes a region of interest and, therewith, the size of the volume (50) to be scanned, it is contemplated to adjust a density of the scanning lines within the volume (50) as a function of a size of the volume while maintaining a total number of scanning lines across the volume (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Richard Allen Snyder, Chicheong Stephen So, Martin James Moynihan, Lars Jonas Olsson, Lynette May Ward
  • Patent number: 10939963
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices and methods for providing proximity awareness to an anatomical feature while navigating inside a patient's chest, an exemplary method including receiving image data of the patient's chest, generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's chest based on the received image data, determining a location of the anatomical feature based on the received image data and the generated 3D model, tracking a position of an electromagnetic sensor included in a tool, iteratively determining a position of the tool inside the patient's chest based on the tracked position of the electromagnetic sensor, and indicating a proximity of the tool relative to the anatomical feature, based on the determined position of the tool inside the patient's chest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventor: William S. Krimsky
  • Patent number: 10932735
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nuclear medical diagnostic apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires gamma-ray emission data based on gamma rays emitted from radio isotopes administered to an object. The processing circuitry further executes scattered-ray correction on the gamma-ray emission data based on a second X-ray CT image obtained by replacing pixel values of a non-object region included in a first X-ray CT image with a predetermined pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Noshi, Manabu Teshigawara, Masahiro Kazama, Tetsuya Sadotomo
  • Patent number: 10881316
    Abstract: A method for automatically determining the 3D position and orientation of a radio-opaque medical object in a living body using single-plane fluoroscopy comprising: (a) capturing a stream of digitized 2D images from a single-plane fluoroscope; (b) detecting an image of the medical object in a subset of the digital 2D images; (c) applying to the digital 2D images calculations which preserve original pixel intensity values and permit statistical calculations thereon, using (i) multiple sequential determinations of a midline of the medical object image, (ii) a plurality of unfiltered raw-data cross-sectional intensity profiles perpendicular to each sequentially-determined midline, (iii) removal of outlier profiles from each plurality of profiles, and (iv) statistically combining each plurality of profiles to estimate image dimensions; (d) applying conical projection and radial elongation corrections to the image measurements; and (e) calculating the 3D position and orientation of the medical object from the corre
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: APN Health, LLC
    Inventors: Jasbir Sra, Barry Belanger, Mark Palma, Donald Brodnick, Bruce Langenbach
  • Patent number: 10881350
    Abstract: A physiological signal measurement device includes a housing, a bracket, a rigid circuit board fastened in the housing, a first flexible circuit board assembled in the housing and the in-ear portion, and a protective sleeve. The housing protrudes frontward to form an in-ear portion. The bracket has a base portion fastened to the in-ear portion. Several portions of a front surface of the base portion protrude frontward to form a plurality of first elastic portions. The first flexible circuit board has a resilient end. The resilient end of the first flexible circuit board surrounds the plurality of the first elastic portions. The protective sleeve has a fastening portion, and a plurality of spaced second elastic portions protruded from the fastening portion. The plurality of the spaced second elastic portions surround the plurality of the first elastic portions and the resilient end of the first flexible circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: CHENG UEI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sheng-Chieh Lo, Peng-Yuan Lee, Chih-Yuan Lu
  • Patent number: 10852378
    Abstract: A method of predetermining the time profile of a contrast agent concentration at a vessel position is provided in the context of contrast agent-enhanced MRI of a region of interest only during the initial flooding-in phase of the contrast agent into the vessel situated in the region of interest. The method includes establishing a broadening of a contrast agent bolus profile according to the equation ?W=W2?W1 wherein W1 is a first width of the contrast agent bolus profile at a first vessel position and W2 is a second width of a contrast agent concentration profile at a second vessel position within the region of interest. The broadening is established by determining at least one flow parameter which is dependent on at least one blood flow property of the patient at a third vessel position thereof and which correlates with the broadening of the contrast agent profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: BAYER PHARMA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Martin Rohrer, Gregor Jost, Hubertus Pietsch, Claus-Peter Reisinger, Harald Kramer
  • Patent number: 10842466
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound apparatus including a first display configured to display an ultrasound image; a control panel including a second display that is different from the first display and configured to display a plurality of control items related to the ultrasound image; and a controller configured to select at least one control item from among the plurality of control items based on a location of an input tool located on the second display, and to control the first display to display the selected at least one control item and an indicator representing the location of the input tool together with the ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ho-kyung Kang, Jin-woo Yim, Ki-won Sohn
  • Patent number: 10820859
    Abstract: A non-invasive sensor unit adapted to be coupled to a patient includes a pair of light emitters spaced apart a known distance, and a pair light detectors. The light detectors detect light emitted from the emitters and scattered by a patient. The unit determines one or more cardiovascular characteristics of the patient from the scattered light, such as the patient's pulse wave velocity; a saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2) level; a temperature; a respiration rate; a heart rate; and a blood pressure. The light emitters emit light that may have wavelengths between 600 and 1000 nanometers. The unit, in some embodiments, is integrated into a patch adapted to be secured to the skin of the patient. Readings from the unit may be transmitted to a separate device spaced from the unit, such as via Bluetooth, WiFi, or by other means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Hadley, Marko N. Kostic, Joshua Elmer Mix, Christopher John Hopper
  • Patent number: 10820890
    Abstract: Operation of a patient's lungs may be analyzed by transmitting ultrasound energy into the patient's lung, and obtain power and velocity Doppler data while a vibration is being induced in the lung. At least one portion of the power and velocity data that corresponds to a fundamental harmonic is then identified. In some embodiments, portions of the power and velocity data that corresponds to higher order harmonics are also identified. The power observed in the fundamental harmonic and optionally the higher order harmonics can then be used to determine the condition of the lungs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Echosense Jersey Limited
    Inventor: Yoram Palti
  • Patent number: 10813554
    Abstract: Embodiments related to medical imaging devices including rigid imaging tips and their methods of use for identifying abnormal tissue within a surgical bed are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Lumicell, Inc.
    Inventors: W. David Lee, Jorge Ferrer, David B. Strasfeld