Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for acquiring, among other things, lesion information from a hair or fur-covered region of a biological subject.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for acquiring, among other things, lesion information from a hair or fur-covered region of a biological subject.

Abstract: A system includes a parameter generation system to determine parameters of at least one phase of an injection procedure based at least in part upon a type of the injection procedure. The parameter generator system determines the amount of a pharmaceutical that is to be delivered to a patient at least in part on the basis of the concentration of an agent in the pharmaceutical and at least on part on the basis of a function that depends upon and varies with a patient parameter. The patient parameter can, for example, be weight, body mass index, body surface area or cardiac output. The pharmaceutical can, for example, include a contrast enhancing agent for use in an imaging procedure.

Abstract: A biopsy system includes a tomographic image pick-up device which is insertable into a living body to pick-up a tomographic image of a bioptic target part in the living body to be subjected to biopsy, a guide wire configured to puncture the bioptic target part in the condition where the tomographic image obtained by the tomographic image pick-up device is being observed; and a biopsy device which is inserted along the guide wire to the bioptic target part in the living body after withdrawal of the tomographic image pick-up device out of the living body and by which tissue of the bioptic target part is sampled. The guide wire remains in the living body in the state of puncturing the bioptic target part even after the withdrawal of the tomographic image pick-up device.

Abstract: A system for detecting tumor margins includes a topical protease-specific, fluorescence imaging probe that is activatable by enzymatic activation to produce a visually differentiated signal upon topical application to a targeted cancer cell that secretes an enzyme that activates the protease-specific, fluorescence imaging probe, an applicator for topically administering the imaging probe to the cancer cell; and an imaging device to detect activation of the imaging probe administered to the cancer cell.

Abstract: A method for free-breathing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using iterative image-based respiratory motion correction is provided. An MRI system is used to acquired k-space data and navigator data from a subject. The k-space data is then sorted into a plurality of data bins using the navigator data. A motion correction parameter is estimated for each data bin and is applied to the respective k-space data in that bin. The corrected k-space data segments are then combined to form a corrected k-space data set, from which an image is reconstructed. The process may be iteratively repeated until an image quality metric is optimized; for example, until an image sharpness measure is sufficiently maximized.

Abstract: Methods for computing hemodynamic quantities include: (a) acquiring angiography data from a patient; (b) calculating a flow and/or calculating a change in pressure in a blood vessel of the patient based on the angiography data; and (c) computing the hemodynamic quantity based on the flow and/or the change in pressure. Systems for computing hemodynamic quantities and computer readable storage media are described.

Abstract: The invention concerns a medical imaging system comprising means (4) of segmenting a region of interest around an object of interest within a volume of 3D data (3DV). The system according to the invention comprises means (5) of calculating a sub-regions map (CSR) within the segmented region (RS) and correction means (6) intended to exclude sub-regions of the segmented region by means of said sub-regions map (CSR). The correction can be made automatically or manually by means of control means (7) enabling a user to select the sub-regions to be excluded. Display means (3) make it possible to display a 2D representation (2DR) of the volume of 3D data (3DV) and the segmented region (RS, RS?) at various stages of the processing.

Abstract: Embodiments for enhancing an image quality of an ultrasound image based on entropy information in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasound data acquisition unit acquires multiple ultrasound data, and a processing unit forms entropy information based on the multiple ultrasound data and adaptively perform data processing for image enhancement upon the multiple ultrasound data based on the entropy information. The processing unit forms multiple ultrasound images based on the multiple ultrasound data with the data processing performed.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting and tracking multiple catheters in a fluoroscopic image sequence in an integrated central processing unit and graphics processing unit framework is disclosed. A catheter electrode model is initialized in a first frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The catheter landmark candidates are detected, by a graphics processing unit, in the first frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The catheter electrode model is tracked, by a central processing unit, and is detected by the graphics processing unit, in subsequent frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence by detecting catheter landmark candidates in the subsequent frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence using at least one trained catheter landmark detector, and outputting the catheter model tracking and landmark detection results of for each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence.

Abstract: An imaging system automatically determines a cardiac timing parameter for acquiring a cardiac image in a heart phase. An interface receives data identifying a heart image orientation for image acquisition. A repository of data associates, for acquisition of an image in a particular heart phase, different image orientations with corresponding different data items identifying respective corresponding particular acquisition points within an individual heart cycle relative to a start point of the heart cycle. An acquisition timing processor determines from the repository of data, a particular acquisition point within an individual heart cycle relative to the start point of the heart cycle, in response to the received data identifying the heart image orientation and uses the determined particular acquisition point to provide a synchronization signal for triggering acquisition of an image at the particular heart phase.

Abstract: A system for imaging an abnormal cell and or diseased tissue after topical application of a near infrared protease-specific probe is disclosed. The system includes a protease-specific near infrared (NIRF) imaging probe, means for topically administering the protease-specific probe to a diseased tissue and an imaging device capable of detecting the interaction between the protease-specific NIRF imaging probe and the diseased tissue. A method and surgical procedure are also disclosed.

Abstract: Acoustic energy is delivered to innervated vascular that contributes to renal sympathetic nerve activity, such as innervated tissue of the renal artery and abdominal aorta. Focused acoustic energy is delivered via an intravascular device of sufficient power to ablate innervated renal or aortal tissue. Focused acoustic energy may be delivered via an intravascular or extracorporeal device to image and locate target innervated renal or aortal tissue. Intravascular, extravascular, or transvascular focused ultrasound devices provide for high precision denervation of innervated vascular to terminate renal sympathetic nerve activity.

Abstract: A method for providing patient registration without fiducials comprises the steps of: spatially placing an ultrasound image of a patient randomly at different starting positions relative to a preoperative image; creating an independent registration corresponding to each different starting positions, by optimizing a spatial transformation between the preoperative image and the ultrasound image to provide a first batch of registrations; executing a second registration to fine-tune the alignment between the preoperative image and the ultrasound image; and concatenating the spatial transformation to obtain spatial transformation between the patient in an operating room and a corresponding preoperative image.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system that includes an ultrasound receiver configured to receive ultrasound signals scattered from a sample in real time; an acoustic beam former; and an ultrasound data demodulation system. In one embodiment, the ultrasound imaging system further includes a processing system configured to process demodulated scan data and perform ultrasound image generation and flow processing and a display configured to show ultrasound image data and blood flow velocity data relative to such image data. Signals that include positive flow information and negative flow information are separated from received signals using phase-filters and analytic signal transforms such that a first and a second autocorrelation signal processing stage is used to generate mean positive flow, mean negative flow, and variance data for such flows.

Abstract: A method of determining stress based on renal blood flow. The method includes receiving data indicating renal blood flow of a subject. The method also includes calculating a power spectrum of a signal derived from the data. The power spectrum indicates a stress level of the subject.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing an ultrasound spatial compound image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to acquire ultrasound data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals; and a processing unit in communication with the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to set a plurality of center lines based on a virtual common point corresponding to predetermined scan-lines, move the virtual common point along each of the center lines to set a plurality of scan-lines, form a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to the center lines based on the ultrasound data, and perform spatial compounding upon the ultrasound images to form an ultrasound spatial compound image, wherein the ultrasound data acquisition unit is configured to acquire the ultrasound data based on the plurality of scan-lines.

Abstract: A method and system for automatic magnetic resonance (MR) volume composition and normalization is disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of MR volumes is received. A composite MR volume is generated from the plurality of MR volumes. Volume normalization of the composite MR volume is then performed to correct intensity inhomogeneity in the composite MR volume. The volume normalization of the composite MR volume may be performed using template MR volume or without a template MR volume.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic device and image display method display an inflow time map representing relative differences in blood flow dynamics such as inflow of a contrast agent, including extracting a vessel and constructing a noise-less inflow time map, and, in the comparison of differences in color between the constructed inflow time map and the past inflow time map, unifying the color of regions as a base. A TIC analysis unit calculates a parameter (t?) indicating an inflow starting time of a contrast agent and a difference of brightness ?I due to the contrast agent using image data in a range designated by an image detection unit. A first pixel selection unit extracts a pixel and removes a non-contrast-enhanced region. An image construction unit constructs an inflow time map colored according to t?, and a second pixel selection unit extracts a vessel using a histogram based on ?I.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which can measure a time difference of motion between a plurality of sites of a cardiac muscle for the heart of a fetus is provided. On a tomographic image of the heart, a user sets a plurality of observation points. Each observation point is tracked, and a plurality of displacement waveforms representing a temporal displacement of the plurality of observation points are generated. A time difference between a plurality of representative points is calculated between the plurality of displacement waveforms. Such a time difference is displayed as a numerical value or as a graph. The representative point is a peak point, a zero-cross point, an inflection point, or the like. The plurality of observation points are set along conduction pathways in the heart for the electric signal.