Abstract: An imaging system and method acquires non-contrast images of a region of interest in a body and determines an entrance criterion based on the non-contrast images. The entrance criterion dictates conditions in which to begin acquiring contrast imaging exposures of the region of interest. An amount of a contrast agent is measured in one or more locations in the imaged body subsequent to acquiring the non-contrast images. The system and method determine that the one or more conditions of the entrance criterion are met based on the amount of the contrast agent that is measured in the imaged body, and acquire one or more contrast images of the region of interest in the imaged body responsive to determining that the one or more conditions of the entrance criterion are met.

Abstract: A diagnosis assistance device includes a control unit that generates line data indicating an intensity value of a reflected wave from an object, which is present in a transmission direction of ultrasound, for each combination of a movement position of an ultrasound transducer that radially transmits the ultrasound while being moved inside a biological tissue and the transmission direction of the ultrasound with reference to an observation result of a cross section of the biological tissue by the ultrasound transducer and generates a detection image which includes pixels corresponding to the generated line data and in which pixels corresponding to the line data at the same movement position are arranged in one direction. Pixels corresponding to the line data in the same transmission direction are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the one direction, and each pixel value is set according to an abnormality degree of the generated line data.

Abstract: In an ultrasound diagnostic system, in a case where a routine test in which a plurality of parts of a subject are sequentially subjected to ultrasound diagnosis in accordance with a determined procedure is performed and in a case where information on the subject is input from an input unit, a workstation-side control unit makes a workstation-side display unit perform a second display in which one past image and a current image including an ultrasound image newly created in an ultrasound diagnostic device with respect to a part corresponding to the one past image are displayed side by side on a past image region and a current image region adjacent to each other, in an arrangement order of a plurality of past images in a past routine test of the subject stored in the storage unit.

Abstract: A system and method of monitoring a procedure includes a medical device. The medical device includes an elongate device including a flexible body, a tracking system disposed along at least a portion of the flexible body, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the tracking system. The one or more processors are configured to receive a route to a target location in an anatomy, determine one or more features of the route based on a first anatomical representation, generate a reduced anatomical representation based on the one or more features of the route, receive real-time position information from the tracking system, associate the real-time position information to the reduced anatomical representation, and dynamically display the reduced anatomical representation with the associated real-time position information.

Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of an approach to diagnosing pancreatic cystic lesions using light scattering spectroscopy. In some embodiments, the approach includes an apparatus including a spatial gating probe to isolate light reflected by the epithelial tissue of the internal cyst surface using spatial gating. In some further embodiments, the apparatus includes a scanning fiber probe that is capable of rotational and linear motion in order to scan the entire internal surface of the cyst. Use of such an approach may be advantageous to improve the accuracy of diagnosing pancreatic cystic lesions as cancerous, precancerous, or benign.

Abstract: A hydrogel sensor device can include a crosslinked hydrogel body which changes in volume in response to an environmental stimulus, a support post positioned to mechanically support the crosslinked hydrogel body during the change in volume, and a sensor positioned to detect the change in volume in the crosslinked hydrogel body.

Abstract: Shape-sensing systems and methods for medical devices. The shape-sensing system can include a medical device, an optical interrogator, a console, and a display screen. The medical device can include an integrated optical-fiber stylet having fiber Bragg grating (“FBG”) sensors along at least a distal-end portion thereof. The optical interrogator can be configured to send input optical signals into the optical-fiber stylet and receive FBG sensor-reflected optical signals therefrom. The console can be configured to convert the reflected optical signals into plottable data for displaying plots thereof on the display screen. The plots can include a plot of curvature vs. time for each FBG sensor of a selection of the FBG sensors in the distal-end portion of the optical-fiber stylet for identifying a distinctive change in strain of the optical-fiber stylet as a tip of the medical device is advanced into a superior vena cava of a patient.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic (fsOR-PAE) endoscope for imaging vasculature within tissues in vivo that includes an ultrasonic transducer and a scanning mirror within a lumen of an elongate casing. The scanning mirror is configured to direct the laser pulses from the pulsed laser source to a focal spot outside the casing in a scanning pattern via an imaging window formed in the casing. The scanning mirror is further configured to direct a plurality of photoacoustic signals from the focal spot to the ultrasonic transducer via the imaging window.

Abstract: An ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasonic image acquisitor that acquires an ultrasonic image generated on the basis of a reception signal obtained by an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject; an identification result acquisitor that acquires, by inputting the ultrasonic image acquired to any of a plurality of identifiers that identifies an identification target object captured in an input ultrasonic image, an identification result output from the identifier; and a hardware processor that changes the identifier to which the ultrasonic image acquired is input.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including a hardware processor that: calculates a plurality of eigenvectors by performing principal component analysis on a time-series reflection wave data group; calculates a principal frequency component of a time direction represented by the plurality of eigenvectors; determines a reduction rate of each of the plurality of eigenvectors on a basis of the principal frequency component of each of the plurality of eigenvectors and a clutter component reduction condition that defines a reference frequency for reduction of a clutter component; calculates a filter coefficient for reduction of the clutter component on a basis of the plurality of eigenvectors, and the reduction rate corresponding to each of the plurality of eigenvectors; and generates blood flow image data by applying the filter coefficient to the time-series reflection wave data group.

Abstract: An ultrasound (US) system (10) includes a US scanner (14) and a US probe (12) operatively connected to the US scanner.

Abstract: An optical waveguide-transmitter apparatus, an ultrasonic transceiver apparatus, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus and an associated production method are disclosed. The optical waveguide-transmitter apparatus includes a substrate made of a semiconductor material; a carrier layer arranged on the substrate; and at least one transmitter-optical waveguide made of a semiconductor material with a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the carrier layer. At least one side of the waveguide is at least partially surrounded by the carrier layer. The waveguide is configured at an end facing toward the examination region for a decoupling of the light beams into the examination region for generating the ultrasonic waves in the examination region by way of the decoupled light beams for an optoacoustic imaging and/or has, on the end facing toward the examination region, an optical absorption layer for such a conversion of the light beams.

Abstract: A method and processing system for providing a three-dimensional, 3D, ultrasound image along with an additional ultrasound acquisition. A location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image is determined or obtained. After obtaining the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition, initial display data is for display of only the 3D ultrasound image. In response to a user input, second display data is generated for displaying both the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition. The display of the additional ultrasound acquisition is based on the location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound bronchoscope capable of preventing a non-coaxial cable from being disconnected and improving a degree of freedom of wirings. An ultrasound bronchoscope includes a distal end part having an ultrasound transducer array, a bending part that is coupled to a proximal end of the distal end part and is bendable in two directions, a flexible part that is coupled to a proximal end of the bending part, a cable that is inserted into the flexible part and the bending part, and a flexible substrate that electrically connects a plurality of ultrasound transducers and the cable, and is disposed over the distal end part, the bending part, and a part of the flexible part.

Abstract: An ultrasound scanning control method applied to an ultrasound scanning device is provided. The ultrasound scanning device includes an execution mechanism. The execution mechanism includes a mechanical arm and a probe. The ultrasound scanning control method includes: controlling the mechanical arm to drive the probe to move according to a set scanning trajectory; and controlling the probe to collect an ultrasound image. A target region is identified from the collected ultrasound image. The scanning trajectory is adjusted when a position of the target region in the ultrasound image is not a predetermined position, and the mechanical arm is controlled to drive the probe to move according to the adjusted scanning trajectory.

Abstract: A method includes registering a region of interest in 3-D imaging data with an initial ultrasound image so that the region of interest is in an imaging plane of the initial ultrasound image. The method further includes acquiring a subsequent ultrasound image with a transducer array. The method further includes comparing the initial ultrasound image and the subsequent ultrasound image. The method further includes steering at least one of the transducer array or an instrument based on a result of the comparing so that at least one of the region of interest or the instrument is in the imaging plane.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and method for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe comprises: a probe array assembly having a probe tip; a first enclosure disposed around a portion of the probe array assembly, where the first enclosure has first and second openings and comprises a thermally conductive material; and one or more thermally conductive fins contained within the first enclosure, each of the one or more thermally conductive fins having one end enclosed within the probe array assembly and a portion extending away from the probe array assembly and in thermal contact with an inner surface of the first enclosure to create a thermal path from the first opening to the second opening in the first enclosure.

Abstract: An ultrasound treatment system operable to deliver ultrasound energy to a patient's brain, the system comprises a treatment ultrasound transducer comprising a plurality of treatment elements, the treatment ultrasound transducer locatable to deliver ultrasound into the head of the patient. The system further comprises a data store, one or more position sensors configured to detect relative movement between the head of the patient and the treatment ultrasound transducer, and a data processor.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a hardware processor that search for a blood vessel position of a subject in a tomographic image and automatically setting a region corresponding to the blood vessel position detected in the tomographic image as a measurement region for generating a Doppler image. In a case where a measurement region has been already set or in a case where a specified position specified by a user exists when the hardware processor automatically sets the measurement region, the hardware processor executes processing of searching for the blood vessel position such that the measurement region is automatically set near the measurement region that has been already set or the specified position.

Abstract: A compression assembly is coupled to the gantry of an ultrasound breast imaging system. The compression assembly includes a pair of compression paddles mounted on a positioning track, Each compression paddle houses a transducer and has a compression material surface for patient contact. A motor moves the compression paddles along the positioning track to immobilize the breast for ultrasound imaging.