Patents Examined by Joanne M Hoffman
  • Patent number: 11234676
    Abstract: Systems and methods can include a system for positioning an ultrasound probe proximal to anatomy of a patient on a radiation couch including a substantially planar base including engagement features to directly or indirectly index the substantially planar base to the radiation couch and a centrally located guide extending longitudinally along a top side of the base, a probe holder, configured to be coupled to, to translate longitudinally, and to be user-accessed and user-controlled from within, a central region of the substantially planar base, a clamp, configured to localize the probe holder at a specified location along a translation path in the central region of the substantially planar base, leg supports shaped to accommodate a patient's legs from behind, the pair of leg supports being shaped and arranged to provide a space therebetween that can accommodate an ultrasound probe holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Elekta LTD.
    Inventor: Francois Marcil
  • Patent number: 11229454
    Abstract: Disclosed are access devices that can be used to safely guide instruments, such as EP ablation catheters, to a therapy site such one within the pericardial space of the heart. The access devices include integrated visualization, illumination, stabilization, and safety features in a single platform that can, for example, more safely and efficiently identify and ablate several ventricular tachycardia (VT) locations on the left ventricle of the heart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: CARDIOSCOUT SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: James D. Fonger, Gary H. Sanders, Jack Greelis, Matthew Thomas Yurek
  • Patent number: 11229712
    Abstract: Xenon based biosensors have the potential to detect and localize biomarkers associated with a wide variety of diseases. The development and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization of cage molecules which encapsulate hyperpolarized xenon is imperative for the development of these xenon biosensors. We acquired 129Xe NMR spectra, and magnetic resonance images and a HyperCEST saturation map of cucurbituril (CB6) in whole bovine blood. We observed a mean HyperCEST depletion of 84% (n=5) at a concentration of 5 mM and 74% at 2.5 mM. Additionally, we collected these data using a pulsed HyperCEST saturation pre-pulse train with a SAR of 0.025 W/kg which will minimize any potential RF heating in animal or human tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Lakehead University
    Inventors: Mitchell Albert, Francis Hane
  • Patent number: 11224405
    Abstract: An apparatus and method that uses shape sensing and imaging to record, display and enable return to an imaging probe location or to predetermined imaging parameters. The apparatus includes an ultrasound probe (104, 304, 404, 750); a shape-sensing-device (SSD) (102, 302, 602, 740) associated with the ultrasound probe; and a controller (122, 710). The controller may be configured to: determine at least one of location and orientation of the ultrasound probe based upon position sensor information (PSI) received from the SSD; select a view of a plurality of views of a workflow that are stored in the memory; obtain view setting information (VSI) including parameters and a position and/or orientation of the ultrasound probe for each of the views; determine guidance information; and render the determined guidance information on the rendering device and set ultrasound probe parameters based on the parameters of the VSI for the selected view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Paul Thienphrapa, Bharat Ramachandran, Molly Lara Flexman, Neriman Nicoletta Kahya
  • Patent number: 11219483
    Abstract: A control handle of a treatment probe is manipulated to advance and/or deploy one or more treatment structures into tissue. The treatment probe is coupled to a display to show an image field including target tissue for treatment. Virtual treatment and safety boundaries are overlaid over the image field. The boundaries include virtual stop positions for the needle and tines. A joystick or directional pad on the probe handle, operable independently from the user interface to advance and/or deploy the one or more treatment structures, can be manipulated to adjust the size and/or position of these boundaries. Sensors within the probe detect the real-time position of the one or more treatment structures, and the sensed positions are displayed in real-time. The user can observe the display to deploy the one or more treatment structures to the displayed virtual stop positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Gynesonics Inc.
    Inventors: Jiayu Chen, Hyeonsoo Chang, Edmond Ming Wai Chiu, Amer Hammudi, Harry Kwan, Michael A. Munrow
  • Patent number: 11219489
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for using sensor sleeves with surgical tools. In an aspect of the present disclosure, a sensor sleeve includes a tubular body defining a central longitudinal axis and having a lumen defined therethrough, the tubular body being configured to receive a tool, a plurality sensors attached to the tubular body, a cabling extending distally from the tubular body, and an interface connector coupled to the cabling and configured to interface with a navigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: William S. Krimsky, Joshua B. Stopek
  • Patent number: 11213254
    Abstract: An implantable sensor is proposed including a ring shaped element and a coil. The ring shaped element is made of a silicone and is electrically conductive. The coil may be formed by a wire with a number of windings, wherein at least the free ends of the wire are enclosed by the silicone of the ring shaped element, wherein an electrical resistance of the ring shaped element varies upon a deformation of the ring shaped element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Schibli, Jens Troetzschel, Thomas Doerge, Murad Abu Asal
  • Patent number: 11207056
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus generates an ultrasound image based on an ultrasound signal acquired by an ultrasound probe having an ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer transmits an ultrasound wave to an observation target and receives the ultrasound wave reflected from the observation target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomonao Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11207054
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, there is provided a headset mountable on a head, the headset including a probe for emitting energy into the head. The headset further includes a support structure coupled to the probe. The support structure includes translation actuators for translating the probe along two axes generally parallel to a surface of the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: NovaSignal Corp.
    Inventors: Roman Flores, II, Matthew Hutter, Gerard Salinas, Michael Costa, Matthew Sylvester, Robert Hamilton, Corey Thibeault, Leo Petrossian, Aaron Green, Shankar Radhakrishnan
  • Patent number: 11207059
    Abstract: A biopsy imaging rod (100) includes an elongated rod member (200) having a sharp distal end (210) and a channel extending from a proximal end to an egress port (220) near the distal end, and it also includes an onboard biopsy marker (400) positioned in the channel proximal to the egress port. The biopsy imaging rod also includes a pushrod (300) slideably positioned in the channel adjacent to the biopsy marker extending from the proximal end of the elongated rod member to the egress port, the pushrod biased to bend toward the biopsy marker. The biopsy imaging rod may additionally include an imageable portion between the distal end and the egress port. Methods for making and using the biopsy imaging rod are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Devicor Medical Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Nock, Robert Householder
  • Patent number: 11191527
    Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Igarashi, Shinya Kajiyama, Yohei Nakamura, Kengo Imagawa, Kazuhiro Amino, Takayuki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 11191444
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method comprises: receiving data indicative of at least one phase image captured using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device during delivery of thermal therapy by a thermal therapy applicator to a target volume within a patient's body; and processing said at least one phase image; wherein said processing said at least one phase image comprises: applying a first mask; applying phase unwrap; and applying a second mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Profound Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Bigot, Patrick Leonard
  • Patent number: 11185662
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for deactivating renal nerves extending along a renal artery of a mammalian subject to treat hypertension and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (30) is inserted into the renal artery (10) as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (18) bearing the transducer into the renal artery. The ultrasonic transducer emits unfocused ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout a relatively large impact volume (11) as, for example, at least about 0.5 cm3 encompassing the renal artery to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual renal nerves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ReCor Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Reinhard J. Warnking
  • Patent number: 11185259
    Abstract: An obturator assembly includes an obturator at least partially positionable within a lumen of a device. The obturator has a distal end with a tip portion and an opposing proximal end. A sensor assembly is at the tip portion. The sensor assembly is configured to sense one or more environmental characteristics and to generate one or more signals representative of the one or more environmental characteristics. A hub is operatively coupled to the obturator. The hub is also operatively coupled to electronic circuitry that is coupled in signal communication with the sensor assembly. In certain embodiments, the electronic circuitry is configured to receive the one or more signals from the sensor assembly and transmit the one or more signals to remote reception circuitry and/or display a datum representative of the one or more environmental characteristics on a display of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: S. Ray Isaacson, Mark Hunter, Paul Walker, Jeff O'Bryan
  • Patent number: 11185309
    Abstract: Control device 10 of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a hardware processor that sets, among a plurality of operation modes in which pulse waveforms of ultrasound pulses to be transmitted are different from one another, at least first and second operation modes for which observation results are to be simultaneously displayed on a screen, sets at least one operation type that defines transmission timing of ultrasound pulses, and sets a switching frequency of a switching signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Mutsuhiro Akahane, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Yosuke Kimura, Kazuya Osada
  • Patent number: 11185310
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus includes: an image processor configured to generate an ultrasound image based on an ultrasound echo signal; a display; and a main controller configured to detect a liver area and a kidney area in the ultrasound image, extract a border line between the liver area and the kidney area, automatically establish a region of interest of the liver and a region of interest of the kidney based on the border line, obtain a diagnostic parameter for the region of interest of the liver and a diagnostic parameter for the region of interest of the kidney, and control the display to display information about the diagnostic parameter for the region of interest of the liver and the diagnostic parameter for the region of interest of the kidney.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gun Woo Lee, SeWon Kim, JongHyon Yi, ChoongHwan Choi
  • Patent number: 11172829
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic transducer integrating at least one piezoelectric element having a first surface and a second surface, a potential electrode that is electrically connected to the second surface, a ground electrode that is electrically connected to the first surface, a switch electrically connected to both the potential electrode and the ground electrode, a timer configured to match a pulse emanating from a radio-frequency emitter, further wherein the potential electrode and the ground electrode are electrically connected through an impedance when the switch is in an active state, further wherein the potential electrode and the ground electrode are not electrically connected when the switch is in an inactive state; and a housing accommodating the at least one piezoelectric element, potential electrode, ground electrode, and switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: ENDRA Life Sciences Inc.
    Inventors: Zackary Marc Mumm, Christopher Nelson Davis, Michael M. Thornton, Jang Hwan Cho
  • Patent number: 11172903
    Abstract: A method for imaging may include directing a PET scanner to perform scans of a subject injected with a tracer during a first time period. The method may also include generating PET images by reconstructing the PET data that are generated by the PET scanner based on the scans of the subject. The method may also include determining a first portion of a blood input function of the tracer in the subject based on the PET images. The method may also include determining an integral of a second portion of the blood input function based on a kinetic model, the PET data, and the first portion of the blood input function. The method may also include determining kinetic parameters of the kinetic model based on the PET data, the first portion of the blood input function, and the integral of the second portion of the blood input function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: UIH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Wentao Zhu, Hongdi Li
  • Patent number: 11166697
    Abstract: An ultrasound system employs an ultrasound probe (31), a strain sensor (33) and a workstation (20). The ultrasound probe (31) includes an ultrasound transducer for acquiring ultrasound images (40) of an anatomical region. The strain sensor (33) is arranged on the ultrasound probe (31) to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe (31) as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images (40) of the anatomical region. The strain sensor (33) encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31) and is spaced from the ultrasound transducers relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Amir Mohammed Tahmasebi Maraghoosh, Mahmoudreza Sharifi, Douglas Allen Stanton
  • Patent number: 11154266
    Abstract: A method is for generating a result image using a tomosynthesis device including a plurality of stationary X-ray sources. In an embodiment, the method includes detecting at least one faulty X-ray source among the plurality of stationary X-ray sources; adapting a reconstruction to compensate for the faulty X-ray source; and generating the result image using the reconstruction adapted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
    Inventor: Marcus Radicke