Patents Examined by Kaitlyn E Selmer
  • Patent number: 11357405
    Abstract: An optical probe, instrument, and method for measuring a tissue sample. The optical probe comprises a needle having a needle tip formed to penetrate a tissue surface and an optical waveguide arranged to transmit light through the needle; and a probe housing for holding the needle and comprising at least one of an actuator or a sensor configured to receive or generate a depth signal to determine a depth position of the needle tip relative to the tissue surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam
    Inventors: Gerwin Jan Puppels, Tom Christian Bakker Schut, Senada Koljenovic, Peter Jacobus Caspers
  • Patent number: 11324482
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe including a plurality of transducers arranged in a plurality columns and a switching element which switches input of a driving signal to the transducers and output of a receiving signal, a transmitter which outputs the driving signal to the transducers, a receiver which acquires the receiving signal corresponding to the transducers, and a hardware processor which generates ultrasound image data corresponding to each of the columns from the receiving signal, makes partial images in the ultrasound image data respectively have representations, synthesizes the ultrasound image data respectively including the partial images to generate composite image data, generates first identification information indicating to which position in a depth direction of the composite image data each of the representations of the partial images in the composite image data corresponds, and displays the generated first identification information and composite image data on
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Sakai, Takashi Kimoto, Akihiro Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11317880
    Abstract: Disclosed is a computer-implemented medical data processing method for determining an orientation of an electrode, the electrode being configured for electrically stimulating an anatomical structure of a patient and comprising a rotational orientation marker, the method comprising executing, on at least one processor of at least one computer, steps of: a) acquiring (S1.1), at the at least one processor, rotational image data describing two-dimensional medical images of the anatomical structure and the electrode, the two-dimensional medical images having been taken with a two-dimensional medical imaging apparatus during rotation of the medical imaging apparatus relative to the anatomical structure, the rotational image data further describing, for each of the two-dimensional medical images, an imaging perspective relative to the anatomical structure associated with the respective two-dimensional medical image; b) determining (S1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventors: Stefan Achatz, Swen Woerlein
  • Patent number: 11317895
    Abstract: A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound image including an ovarian region; detecting, based on at least one parameter used for extracting a particular oocyte, a plurality of candidate ovarian follicles from which mature oocytes are more likely to be extracted in the 3D ultrasound image; registering a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image corresponding to a first cross-section of the ovarian region to the 3D ultrasound image; and guiding, based on a result of the registering, a position of at least one candidate ovarian follicle from which an oocyte is to be extracted in the 2D ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyunjae Jeon, Dongkuk Shin
  • Patent number: 11317873
    Abstract: A biological analysis device includes an average blood pressure calculation unit that calculates an average blood pressure index related to an average blood pressure of a biological body in accordance with a blood vessel diameter index related to a blood vessel diameter of the biological body and a blood flow index related to a blood flow of the biological body and calculated from an intensity spectrum related to a frequency of light reflected and received from an inside of the biological body through radiation of a laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Yamada, Ayae Sawado, Akiko Yamada, Megumi Enari, Yuta Machida, Akira Ikeda, Masayasu Fukuoka, Akira Kitahara
  • Patent number: 11266374
    Abstract: An acoustic probe connectable to an imaging system. The acoustic probe has a substrate with first and second principal surfaces, at least one device insertion port comprising an opening passing through the substrate from the first principal surface to the second principal surface, and an array of acoustic transducer elements supported by the substrate and disposed around the at least one device insertion port. The acoustic probe comprising an instrument guide disposed within the device insertion port, the instrument guide being configured to selectively allow the interventional device to move freely within the device insertion port and to selectively lock the interventional device within the device insertion port in response to a user input via a user interface connected to the acoustic probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Shyam Bharat, Ramon Quido Erkamp, Man Nguyen, Jean-Luc Robert, Sheng-Wen Huang, Jochen Kruecker
  • Patent number: 11253232
    Abstract: An ultrasound device comprises a transducer arrangement and an acoustically transmissive window over said arrangement, said window comprising an elastomer layer having conductive particles dispersed in the elastomer, the elastomer layer having a pressure-sensitive conductivity. An electroactive material actuator is provided for biasing the transducer arrangement towards the transmissive window. The electroactive material actuator is controlled in dependence on a measured pressure-sensitive conductivity. In this way, a feedback system is provided for controlling a contact pressure. The device can be implemented with low cost and with low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens, Harm Jan Willem Belt, Mark Thomas Johnson, Daan Anton Van Den Ende
  • Patent number: 11253228
    Abstract: An ultrasonic scanning method for an ultrasonic scanning device is provided according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The ultrasonic scanning method includes: performing an ultrasonic scanning operation on a human body by an ultrasonic scanner to obtain an ultrasonic image; analyzing the ultrasonic image by an image recognition module to identify an organ pattern in the ultrasonic image; and generating, automatically, a guiding message according to an identification result of the organ pattern, wherein the guiding message is configured to guide a moving of the ultrasonic scanner to scan a target organ of the human body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Chun-Hsien Yu, Kuo-Nan Chen
  • Patent number: 11241155
    Abstract: An OCT system with a swept light source centered around 1.7 ?m for identifying atherosclerotic plaque and visualization of large lipid pool is provided. Advantages for using the 1.7 ?m swept source laser include higher contrast between lipid and normal tissue and deeper penetration of the optical signals from the 1.7 ?m swept source laser into the tissue. With deeper penetration into the tissue, more structural information from deep within the tissue is obtained. The present invention also features multimodality imaging systems that integrate additional imaging systems into the OCT system at 1.7 ?m. As an example, an integrated 1.3 ?m and 1.7 ?m OCT system is provided which simultaneously generates OCT images using both the OCT systems which are used to characterize and differentiate the types of tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Zhongping Chen, Yan Li
  • Patent number: 11234790
    Abstract: A device for providing a fiducial marker(s) within or near a target tissue (e.g. nodule, tumor or other) within a patient. The present teachings provide a device with a handle device, a catheter with a distal end and a proximal end coupled to the handle device, a needle slidably received within the catheter, and a stylet slidably received within the needle. The stylet includes a fiducial marker at a distal end of the stylet. The fiducial marker transitions from a first shape state to a second shape state upon expulsion from the distal end of the needle. The distal end of the stylet is mechanically disconnected from the proximal end of the fiducial marker during a fiducial marker delivery state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: GYRUS ACMI, INC.
    Inventor: Brandon J. Shuman
  • Patent number: 11231431
    Abstract: A 3D ultrasound imaging device including an ultrasound probe assembly and echo analyzer. The ultrasound probe assembly includes a housing and an acoustic window abutted against the housing to form a sealed chamber, wherein the surface of the acoustic window contacts with the breast of the human body to be examined; an ultrasound transducer moves at a first speed back and forth within the sealed chamber and performs high-speed pre-scanning through the acoustic window to obtain initial ultrasound signals; the echo analyzer analyzes the initial ultrasound signals to determine a quality of a ultrasound image acquired by the high speed pre-scanning; and the ultrasound transducer then moves at a second speed to perform another scan to acquire new ultrasound signals. A 3D ultrasound imaging method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhiwei Shi, Ziyan Zhu, Lei Zhu
  • Patent number: 11229376
    Abstract: A medical instrument for magnetic resonance imaging guided radiotherapy includes a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from an imaging zone, a radiation source for emitting X-ray or gamma ray radiation directed at a target zone within the imaging zone, wherein the radiation from the radiation source directed to the target zone passes through a radiation window of the magnetic resonance imaging system. The magnetic resonance imaging system includes at least one radiation transparent electrical transmission line, which is configured for transmitting an electrical signal and which extends through the radiation window, wherein the electrical transmission line is provided by a microstrip comprising a conductor line extending parallel to the ground layer, wherein the conductor line and the ground layer are separated from each other by a dielectric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jehki Juhani Pusa, Annemaria Halkola, Teemu Niemi
  • Patent number: 11219488
    Abstract: A system includes an electrical interface for communicating with a probe, and a processor. The electrical interface is configured to be inserted into a heart of a patient. The processor is configured to (A) receive from the probe, via the electrical interface, (i) position-signals indicative of a position of a distal tip of the probe in the heart, (ii) a contact-force indication indicative of a contact force exerted on the distal tip, and (iii) an electrophysiological (EP) measurement acquired by the distal tip at the position, (B) calculate a contact-force vector based on the contact-force indication received from the distal tip, and (C) based on the position-signals and on the contact-force vector, estimate a location, on an electro-anatomical map of the heart, at which the distal tip touches tissue, and to update the electro-anatomical map with the EP measurement, associated with the estimated location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd.
    Inventors: Natan Sharon Katz, Lior Zar, Benjamin Cohen, Israel Zilberman, Ronen Krupnik
  • Patent number: 11206982
    Abstract: An apparatus for fluorescence molecular tomography includes an exciting light source, a carrying stage, and a receiving apparatus. The carrying stage configured to carry an subject to be examined which receives the exciting light to excite fluorescence; the receiving apparatus comprising a fluorescence detector, an exciting light detector and a beam splitter, the beam splitter is configured to allow the fluorescence to exit in a first direction and the exciting light having passed through the subject to be examined to exit in a second direction, the fluorescence detector is positioned in the first direction to the beam splitter and configured to receive and transform the fluorescence into a first electrical signal. The exciting light detector is positioned in the second direction to the beam splitter and configured to receive and transform the exciting light having passed through the subject to be examined into a second electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Guohe Wang
  • Patent number: 11191510
    Abstract: Provided are an imaging system and method based on multiple-gamma photon coincidence events. The imaging system includes: a plurality of detector assemblies arranged in a non-parallel manner, a time coincidence module and a computer platform. Each detector assembly includes a collimator and a detector configured to measure time and to detect a multiple-gamma photon coincidence event constituted by a plurality of single-gamma photon events cascade-emitted by a radionuclide within a short time. The method is configured to determine validity of the multiple-gamma photon coincidence event, calculate a plurality of non-parallel projection lines where the decay of the radionuclide takes place, determine a location where the decay of the radionuclide takes place according to the non-parallel projection lines, and obtain a distribution of the radionuclide in the subject according to the location where the decay of the radionuclide takes places.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yaqiang Liu, Tianyu Ma, Peng Fan
  • Patent number: 11179137
    Abstract: Imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly directed to imaging a region of interest in tissue with photoacoustic and ultrasound modalities. In some embodiments, a medical sensing system includes one or more external optical emitters and a measurement apparatus configured to be placed within a vascular pathway. The one or more optical emitters and the measurement apparatus may be moved together synchronously. The measurement apparatus may be configured to receive sound waves created by the interaction between emitted optical pulses and tissue, and transmit and receive ultrasound signals. The medical sensing system may also include a processing engine operable to produce images of the region of interest and a display configured to visually display the image of the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jeremy Stigall, Princeton Saroha
  • Patent number: 11166645
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization method includes identifying a location of a thermally induced lesion in an MRI image by deriving a spatial pattern of MRI pixel values, which represents the lesion as it is expected to appear in the MRI image, as a function of thermal energy applied in creating the lesion. The MRI image is matched with the spatial pattern of pixel values. A local maximum value is found in the matched MRI image, and a location of the local maximum value is presented in the matched MRI image as the location of the lesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD.
    Inventor: Assaf Govari
  • Patent number: 11160536
    Abstract: To lessen the examination time in an Ultrasound system in a vascular Exam routine, it is desirable to: automatically position in the best way Color Doppler ROI and/or Sample Gate; select the best Color Doppler/Beamline Steering angle; and set the Doppler Correction angle. An algorithm is provided that is able to process in real time the Doppler Signal to identify the Doppler Area where the most significant flow is present, and then it analyzes the ‘Shape’ of such Color Doppler Area identifying the Position and direction of the “main” Flow. The vascular Examination routine can therefore be made easier and faster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventor: Massimo Faraggi
  • Patent number: 11147538
    Abstract: A method for computing a tissue reflectivity function (TRF) is provided. This method comprises accessing radio-frequency (RF) data and computing a point spread function (PSF), to obtain the TRF. The RF data accessed are data obtained by beamforming time signals from an array of transducers of an ultrasound device. Next, for each pair (r, s) of given pairs of points in the imaging plane, the PSF is computed as a sum of contributions from at least some of the transducers. Each contribution is computed by evaluating a transducer's transfer function, based on two outputs of a respective time-of-flight function. Such outputs are obtained by evaluating the time-of-flight function at a first point r and at a second point s of each pair, respectively. Finally, the RF function can be deconvoluted, based on the computed PSF, so as to obtain the TRF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul T. Hurley, Sepand Kashani, Lucien Roquette, Matthieu Simeoni
  • Patent number: 11147455
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the interactive acquisition of data from an object under investigation by a magnetic resonance system. The data is acquired from the object under investigation with the magnetic resonance system and images are automatically reconstructed and displayed in real time based on the data. A time interval is determined during which a predetermined condition is met in the images. Quality images are automatically reconstructed based on the data acquired within the time interval. The temporal resolution during reconstruction of the quality images is higher than the temporal resolution during reconstruction of the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignees: CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE VAUDOIS, SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
    Inventors: Jérôme Chaptinel, Tobias Kober, Davide Piccini, Peter Speier, Matthias Stuber, Jérôme Yerly