Abstract: A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.

Abstract: An endovascularly deployed prosthetic includes a portion for being positioned within an ascending aorta. The prosthesis includes a replacement aortic valve on a proximal end thereof. The prosthesis includes an increased diameter portion that seals against the aorta at a more distal portion, and a pair of conduits extend from the increased diameter portion to the coronaries for fluidly coupling the coronaries to the prosthesis.

Abstract: Implantable corneal and intraocular implants such as a mask are provided. The mask can improve the vision of a patient, such as by being configured to increase the depth of focus of an eye of a patient. The mask can include an aperture configured to transmit along an optical axis substantially all visible incident light. The mask can further include a transition portion that surrounds at least a portion of the aperture. This portion can be configured to switch from one level of opacity to another level of opacity through the use of a controllably variable absorbance feature such as a switchable photochromic chromophore within a polymer matrix.

Abstract: Eye surgery methods which isolate segments of the eye capsule to which the relevant zonules are attached via a specially contoured capsulorhexis, and shrink-wrap these segments to the haptics of an AIOL to disaccommodatively actuate the latter, accommodative actuation of the AIOL being effected by an accommodative bias built into the AIOL, a tensioning ring, or both.

Abstract: A bioabsorbable composite stent structure, comprising bioabsorbable polymeric ring structures which retain a molecular weight and mechanical strength of a starting substrate and one or more interconnecting struts which extend between and couple adjacent ring structures. The ring structures can have a formed first diameter and being radially compressible to a smaller second diameter and re-expandable to the first diameter. The ring structures can comprise a base polymeric layer. The interconnecting struts can be formed from a polymer blend or co-polymer of poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and an elastomeric polymer. The interconnecting struts each can have a width that is less than a circumference of one of the ring structures. The adjacent ring structures can be axially and rotationally movable relative to one another via the interconnecting struts. The interconnecting struts can also be bioabsorbable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a surgical introducer (10) for inserting an implant (22) into a human ear, the introducer comprising a handle (12), a slider (14) movable relative to the handle between a first position and a second position, a retaining means being at least partially defined by the slider, and a releasable locking mechanism biased to lock the slider in said first or second position, wherein, when the slider is in said first position an implant is engaged by the retaining means and when the slider is moved towards said second position the implant is deployed.

Abstract: A handheld device includes a base comprising a handgrip for receiving a vibration movement, a gripping element linked to the base for releasably connecting the handheld device to an object, at least one inertia sensor for detecting an acceleration of the vibration movement to generate an acceleration signal, a processing unit for determining to generate a cancellation decision according to the acceleration signal, and at least one actuator for controlling movement of the gripping element according to the cancellation decision, such that the acceleration is counteracted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thermal treatment applicator (19) for the deposition of thermal energy within tissue of a body (10) of a patient. The applicator (19), comprises: a plurality of RF antennae (20) for radiating a RF electromagnetic field toward the body (10); —a plurality of RF power amplifiers (21) supplying RF signals to the RF antennae (20), wherein each RF power amplifier (21) comprises a transistor and an output matching network (22) transforming the output impedance of the transistor into a low impedance value. Moreover, the invention relates to a MR imaging guided therapy system (1).

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for catheterization through angionavigation, cardionavigation, or brain navigation to diagnose or treat diseased areas through direct imaging using tracking, such as radiofrequency, infrared, or ultrasound tracking, of the catheter through the patient's vascular anatomy. A steerable catheter with six degrees of freedom having at least a camera and fiber optic bundle, and one or more active or passive electromagnetic tracking sensors located on the catheter is guided through the vascular system under direct imaging. The direct imaging can be assisted with at least one of MRA imaging, CT angiography imaging, or 3DRA imaging as the roadmap acquired prior to or during 3D stereoangiovision. The system comprises RF transceivers to provide positioning information from the sensors, a processor executing navigation software to fuse the tracking information from the tracking sensors with the imaging roadmap, and a display to display the location of the catheter on the roadmap.

Abstract: An optical property distribution, such as an absorption coefficient of the inside of a subject, is highly precisely acquired. A photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes an acoustic converting unit configured to receive acoustic waves generated by irradiating a subject with emitted light and to convert the acoustic wave to an electrical signal; and a processing unit configured to determine a light intensity distribution inside the subject on the basis of a light intensity distribution or an illuminance distribution of the light incident on the surface of the subject and to generate image data on the basis of the electrical signal and the determined light intensity distribution inside the subject.

Abstract: A marking device according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a handle, a cannula having a cannula distal end and slidably mounted to the handle, and a stylet having a stylet distal end and slidably mounted to the handle in the cannula. The stylet distal end is spaced proximally of the cannula distal end to form a marker recess that receives an imaging marker. The marking device further comprises an actuator operably coupled to the cannula to effect retraction of the cannula into the handle following implantation of the imaging marker. The imaging marker can be implanted by advancing the stylet relative to the cannula to eject the imaging marker from the marker recess, or the cannula can be retracted relative to the stylet to expose the imaging marker.

Abstract: A marking device includes a handle defining a hollow interior, and a delivery assembly slidably mounted to the handle. The delivery assembly includes a cannula, a stylet assembly, an imaging marker, and an actuator. The cannula has a cannula distal end with a marker recess. The imaging marker is disposed within the marker recess. The actuator is operably coupled to the delivery assembly and is operable to transition the delivery assembly through at least three configurations: a first configuration characterized in that the cannula is positioned in an extended position and the stylet assembly is positioned in a ready position; a second configuration characterized in that the cannula is positioned in the extended position and the stylet assembly is positioned in an implant position; and a third configuration characterized in that the cannula is positioned in the retracted cannula position and the stylet is retracted into the handle.

Abstract: Classification preprocessing is provided for medical ultrasound shear wave imaging. In response to stress, the displacement at one or more locations in a patient is measured. The displacement over time is a curve representing a shift in location. One or more characteristics of the curve, such as signal-to-noise ratio and maximum displacement, are used to classify the location. The location is classified as fluid or fluid tissue, solid tissue, or non-determinative. Subsequent shear imaging may provide shear information for locations of solid tissue and not at other locations.

Abstract: A syringe for injecting contrast injection media into a patient. An inlet valve system associated with the syringe, the inlet valve system operable with a contrast injection media having any viscosity within the range of about 1 cP to about 30 cP. An inlet valve system associated with the syringe, the inlet valve system including a valve member having a density of less than or equal to 1 gram per cubic centimeter. A contrast injector system with such a syringe.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting metal disturbance during a medical procedure includes a probe having an insertion tube, a joint and a joint sensor, contained within the probe, for sensing a position of the insertion tube. The joint sensor has first and second subassemblies that are magnetic transducers. A processor is used for measuring force using the joint sensor, and has a threshold field value stored therein. The processor compares a sensed field value to the threshold field value and identifies a presence metal when the sensed field value is greater than the threshold field value.

Abstract: A method of photoplethysmography includes processing a signal based on at least one signal from at least one sensor arranged to capture light from a living subject to extract information on a characteristic of a periodic biological phenomenon. At least one of the signals from at least one sensor is obtained via sensing radiation as to a peak in an absorption spectrum of water.

Abstract: An ultrasonic intracranial sonothrombolysis pressure amplitude is pre-quantified by using an ultrasound-scanner control unit (110) having an increasing and/or decreasing mode and designed for: with respect to a current mode, interrogating a blockage site iteratively so as to progressively and respectively increase or decrease a pressure amplitude of ultrasound being emitted to the site at which bubbles (144) for oscillating that is caused by the emitted ultrasound are present; iteration to iteration, deriving, from echoes of the emitted ultrasound, a magnitude of an energy of a signal; and automatically identifying, for the quantifying, an iteration that, in comparison with a just-previous iteration, fails to increase the magnitude. The interrogating may span a region that contains or goes through: the obstruction; another part of the blood vessel; and bubble circulation within a neighboring vessel and a neighboring capillary (136).

Abstract: Disclosed is a high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system including a catheter with a rotatable imaging assembly and an image processor. The image processor in turn features a pulser configured to energize the ultrasound transducer of the rotatable imaging assembly with a multi-frequency ultrasound waveform signal. The image processor further contains a receiver configured to decompose received ultrasound energy as reflected by the target vessel into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process these signals and reconstitute these signals into a high resolution image of the blood vessel. The IVUS system of the invention may be useful in characterizing cap thickness of vulnerable plaques or other detailed studies of blood vessels.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires first data in which a tissue of interest has higher signal intensity than a background and second data in which the tissue of interest has lower signal intensity than the background, with regard to images of the same region of the same subject, and a generation unit that generates, on the basis of the first data and the second data, third data in which the contrast of the tissue of interest to the background is higher than those in the first and second data.

Abstract: A system for ultrasonic imaging utilizing multiple sets of transmit pulses differing in amplitude, frequency, phase, and/or pulse width. One embodiment has phase differences between the k transmit signal as 360 k degrees providing for constructive interference of the kth order harmonic pulse, while an amplitude modulation of each transmit profile is constant between sets. These sets of pulses are transmitted into media of interest and received echoes from these pulses are combined to form an averaged signal. The averaged pulses represent the net common mode signal received from each of the transmit sets. This combined signal set is used to reconstruct an ultrasound image based on broad beam reconstruction methodology.