Patents Examined by Katherine Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9265588
    Abstract: A system and method for graphically depicting a desired region for a treatment instrument with respect to a patient is disclosed. In performing the method, different types of electrophysiological data of the patient are obtained. The different types of electrophysiological data are combined to provide a graphical depiction that indicates the desired region for the treatment instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schwan
  • Patent number: 9265577
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing planning and dispensation of research and/or treatment for brain disease. Radiological information is generated in a region of interest in an area of the a brain of an individual using a radiological imaging system. A physiological states model is constructed which assesses physiological states of the region of interest. Locations of sources of interstitial fluid flow, fluid conductivities of paths, and anatomical information in the region of interest are obtained using the radiological imaging information. Velocities of the interstitial fluid flow in the region of interest are computed using the physiological states model, the locations of sources of interstitial flow, the fluid conductivities, and the anatomic information. A model of the area of the brain is created, the model including the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Raghu Raghavan, Stuart A. Grossman
  • Patent number: 9261586
    Abstract: A method of generating a diagnosis image includes receiving signals reflected from a subject; calculating a beamforming coefficient using the received signals; synthesizing each of the plurality of low resolution images using the calculated beamforming coefficient; and synthesizing a high resolution image using the synthesized plurality of low resolution images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyu-hong Kim, Sung-chan Park, Jung-ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9259290
    Abstract: Systems to facilitate MRI-guided procedures are configured to generate proximity alerts for an MRI-guided procedure associated with at least one target site and/or at least one avoid zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: MRI Interventions, Inc.
    Inventors: Kimble L. Jenkins, Peter Piferi, Michael Guttman
  • Patent number: 9255914
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus is configured as follows. Namely, the apparatus includes a first unit configured to generate a first transmission wave for acquisition of a first image with a higher priority on sensitivity than on resolution, a second unit configured to generate a second transmission wave for acquisition of a second image with a higher priority on resolution than on sensitivity, an analysis unit configured to perform multiresolution analysis based on predetermined transform processing on the first image and the second image, a filter unit configured to perform predetermined filter operation for corresponding coefficients of the first image and the second image for each coefficient of each resolution acquired by the analysis unit, and an inverse transform unit configured to generate a composite image of the first image and the second image by performing inverse transform processing of transform processing by the analysis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9247922
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured to appropriately display a region of interest that is intended to be observed in a 3-dimensional elastic image, and also provided is an ultrasonic image display method. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an elastic opacity table creating section for creating, on the basis of the elasticity values, an elastic opacity table used for setting an opacity in the volume rendering of the elastic volume data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiro Tsujita
  • Patent number: 9247887
    Abstract: A physiological monitoring system may process a physiological signal such a photoplethysmograph signal from a subject. The system may determine physiological information, such as a physiological rate, from the physiological signal. The system may use search techniques and qualification techniques to determine one or more initialization parameters. The initialization parameters may be used to calculate and qualify a physiological rate. The system may use signal conditioning to reduce noise in the physiological signal and to improve the determination of physiological information. The system may use qualification techniques to confirm determined physiological parameters. The system may also use autocorrelation techniques, cross-correlation techniques, fast start techniques, and/or reference waveforms when processing the physiological signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Pirow Engelbrecht, Fernando James Rodriguez-Llorente, Nicholas James Wooder
  • Patent number: 9241670
    Abstract: A physiological monitoring system may determine physiological information, such as physiological rate information, from a physiological signal. The system may condition the physiological signal to assist in the determination of the physiological information. The system may generate a positive signal and a negative signal based on respective positive and negative values of the physiological signal. The system may filter the positive and negative signals, combine the filtered signals, and modify the physiological signal based on the combined signal. The physiological signal may be modified, for example, by subtracting the combined signal from the physiological signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Fernando Rodriguez-Llorente, Pirow Engelbrecht, Nicholas James Wooder
  • Patent number: 9237851
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for producing registered images of a body lumen are provided. The system includes a first imaging device having an imager positioned at a distal end thereof, said first imaging device configured to produce a first image of a body cavity; and an imaging system, including a second imaging device having an imager positioned at a distal end thereof and configured to be positioned approximate to said imager of said first imaging device within said body cavity and configured to produce a second image; an elongated member configured to contain said second imaging device; and at least one marker configured to produce registration information in the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: NINEPOINT MEDICAL, INC.
    Inventors: Eman Namati, James W. Moriarty, Jr., Michael Madden
  • Patent number: 9232907
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of method, system and computer-accessible medium according to the present disclosure can be provided for converting magnetic resonance (MR) arterial signal intensity versus time curves to arterial input functions (AIF) with less susceptibility to artifacts such as flow-related enhancement. Exemplary methods, systems and computer-accessible medium can be used to constrain AIF to satisfies the indicator dilution principle, according to which the area under an initial pass component of AIF can be equal to the injected dose divided by the cardiac output. For example, Monte Carlo simulations of MR renography and tumor perfusion protocols can be performed for comparison with conventional methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Vivian S. Lee, Henry Rusinek, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9226728
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus generates volume data by performing three-dimensional scan of a three-dimensional region with an ultrasonic wave. An input unit sets or changes at least one of a plurality of correlated scan conditions for the three-dimensional scan. A determination unit determines the other scan conditions of the plurality of scan conditions on the basis of at least one scan condition that is set or changed. A display unit displays at least one of the set or changed scan condition and the determined scan conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hashimoto, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Takuya Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9220514
    Abstract: A system (1010, 1110) for identifying a landmark is disclosed. The system includes a field generator (1016, 1116) for generating a magnetic field, an orthopaedic implant (1030, 1130) located within the magnetic field, the implant having at least one landmark (1028, 1128), a removable probe (1029, 1129) with a first magnetic sensor (1026, 1126), a landmark identifier (1016, 1116) with a second magnetic sensor (1020, 1120) and a processor (1012, 1112) for comparing sensor data from the first and second sensor and using the set distance to calculate the position of the landmark identifier relative to the at least one landmark. The system allows for blind targeting of one or more landmarks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: James K. Rains, Nicholas S. Ritchey, Gene Edward Austin, Nathaniel Kelly Grusin, Sied W. Janna, Charles C. Heotis
  • Patent number: 9220415
    Abstract: Systems and methods of frequency-domain photoacoustic imaging are provided utilizing an ultrasonic phased array probe and intensity modulated optical excitation with coding to improve signal-to-noise ratio. Embodiments employ frequency-domain photoacoustic imaging methodologies such as the photoacoustic radar, coupled with a multi-element ultrasonic sensor array to deliver spatially-resolved correlation images of photoacoustic sources, which may be employed to image optical heterogeneities within tissue-like scattering media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Inventors: Andreas Mandelis, Sergey Telenkov, Bahman Lashkari
  • Patent number: 9211108
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus including an ultrasound probe which outputs transmission ultrasound waves toward a subject by a driving signal and which outputs received signals by receiving reflection ultrasound waves from the subject and a transmitting unit which generates the transmission ultrasound waves by the ultrasound probe by outputting the driving signal, and the transmitting unit generates the driving signal of square wave having a waveform in which a standard pulse signal where a pulse cycle is 2 T is combined with two first pulse signals of same polarity having a pulse width A (A<T) and a second pulse signal having a pulse width B (B=T?2A), the second pulse signal having a polarity different from the polarity of the first pulse signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA MEDICAL & GRAPHIC, INC.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kaji, Yoshihiro Takeda, Kazuya Osada
  • Patent number: 9198598
    Abstract: Desired imaging is performed within the SAR restriction without changing the imaging conditions set in advance when SAR exceeds an upper limit. In order to do so, in imaging of an object performed by combination of a plurality of pulse sequences, a SAR graph showing a temporal change in the predicted SAR value of each pulse sequence is displayed. When the predicted SAR value of the pulse sequence is the same as or exceeds the upper SAR limit, the exchange of such pulse sequences or the insertion of a waiting time is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miyuki Kawamura, Kosuke Ito, Hisako Nagao
  • Patent number: 9180315
    Abstract: An ultrasonic treatment device includes a vibration transmitting section transmitting an ultrasonic vibration to a distal end of an ultrasonic probe, and a hole defining portion extended toward a proximal direction along the longitudinal axis from a distal end portion of the vibration transmitting section and defining a hole-shaped portion inside the vibration transmitting section. The ultrasonic treatment device includes a tube member extended inside the vibration transmitting section and including a tube distal end which is connected to the hole defining portion of the vibration transmitting section at a first node position of the ultrasonic vibration to a distal direction side of a piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsunetaka Akagane
  • Patent number: 9173715
    Abstract: A bone registration system is disclosed. The bone registration system may have a device including a scanner arranged to scan a target surface area of bone to obtain scan data and a first communication component. The registration system may have also a first marker positionable on a first portion of bone. The first marker may include a second communication component arranged to transmit a location signal for indicating a position of the first marker in a plurality of dimensions relative to the device. The system may have also a registration unit that compares the scan data with surface data of the bone to generate position data identifying overlapping elements of the scan data relative to the surface data, determines location data from the location signal and determines a location of the first marker on a surface of the bone using the position data and the location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventor: Adrian Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 9173609
    Abstract: A brain condition can be tracked based on identification of co-activation of two antagonistic networks of a patient's brain. Various embodiments concerns methods and devices for sensing one or more signals indicative of brain activity, detecting one or more episodes of default mode network activation based on the one or more signals, detecting one or more episodes of salience network activation based on the one or more signals, and identifying one or more episodes of temporal co-activation of the default mode network and the salience network based on the detected one or more episodes of default mode network activation and the one or more episodes of salience network activation. The brain condition can be tracked and treated based on the identification of the one or more episodes of co-activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventor: Dwight E. Nelson
  • Patent number: 9173637
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a new forward-looking ultrasound device including a local actuator embedded inside an elongate member such as a guide wire or catheter. The present invention includes an ultrasound transducer element configured to engage with the local actuator and rotate about an axis of rotation at least when the ultrasound transducer element and the local actuator are engaged. Also disclosed are methods of using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Volcano Corporation
    Inventors: Byong-Ho Park, Oren Levy
  • Patent number: 9167970
    Abstract: An optical imaging system and a method for generating a report regarding elasticity of arteries in the brain of a subject under test. Light output from the light source of the imaging system non-invasively illuminates at least one blood vessel or region of interest in the brain and, upon the interaction with the vessel, is registered with an optical detector to obtain a shape parameter of a hemodynamic pulse in the vessel. The shape parameter is further correlated to an elasticity parameter of the blood vessel(s) feeding the brain region of interest and presented in a form of report that may be a two- or a three-dimensional image of the parameter across the tested region of the brain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Gabriele Gratton, Monica Fabiani, Kathy Low, Edward Maclin