Abstract: A medical imaging processing method includes: using an imaging method to acquire at least first and second data sets of a region of interest of a patient's body, with at least one image acquisition parameter being changed so that first and second data sets yield different contrast levels relating to different substance and/or tissue types, and wherein the at least one acquisition parameter used to obtain the first data set is selected to enhance the contrast between one of the substance and/or tissue types relative to other substance and/or tissue types, and the at least one acquisition parameter used to obtain the second data set is selected to enhance the contrast between a different one of the substance and/or tissue types relative other substance and/or tissue types, thereby to optimize the contrast between at least three different substance and/or tissue types; and processing the two data sets to identify the different tissue types and/or boundaries therebetween.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, methods and devices for identifying information about the imaging element used to gather the backscattered data are provided in order to permit an operation console having a plurality of Virtual Histology classification trees to select the appropriate VH classification tree for analyzing data gathered using that imaging element. In order to select the appropriate VH database for analyzing data from a specific imaging catheter, it is advantageous to know information regarding the function and performance of the catheter, such as the operating frequency of the catheter and whether it is a rotational or phased-array catheter. The present invention provides a device and method for storing this information on the imaging catheter and communicating the information to the operation console.

Abstract: A method for characterizing tissue of a patient, including receiving acoustic data derived from the interaction between the tissue and the acoustic waves irradiating the tissue; generating a morphology rendering of the tissue from the acoustic data, in which the rendering represents at least one biomechanical property of the tissue; determining a prognostic parameter for a region of interest in the rendering, in which the prognostic parameter incorporates the biomechanical property; and analyzing the prognostic parameter to characterize the region of interest. In some embodiment, the method further includes introducing a contrast agent into the tissue; generating a set of enhanced morphology renderings of the tissue after introducing the contrast agent; determining an enhanced prognostic parameter from the enhanced morphology renderings; and analyzing the enhanced prognostic parameter.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes an optical intensity detecting section that detects an intensity of light from a subject at a first wavelength and a second wavelength, where the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength, a pigment component identifying section that identifies a pigment component in the light from the subject, based on (i) a difference between a first absorptance of the subject at the first wavelength and a second absorptance of the subject at the second wavelength and (ii) a difference between the intensity at the first wavelength and the intensity at the second wavelength that are detected by the optical intensity detecting section, and an illumination light component identifying section that identifies an illumination light component in the light from the subject, based on a subject image obtained by image-capturing the subject and the pigment component identified by the pigment component identifying section.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which reduce parastic impedances which occurs in upper electrodes and lower electrodes, thereby reducing cross talk. The ultrasonic probe comprises a cMUT chip (20) having a plurality of transducer elements, an acoustic lens (26) on the ultrasonic wave irradiation side of the cMUT chip (20), a backing layer (22) on the back of the cMUT chip (20), and wires connected with the cMUT chip (20). This cMUT chip (20) includes a plurality of upper electrodes (46) and a plurality of lower electrodes (48), and these lower electrodes (48) are connected at two or more portions with wires.

Abstract: A method for determining a vascularity of an object located in a body is proposed. A multidimensional volume image of a target area of the body including the object is acquired. The object is segmented in the volume image. An expanded volume of the object is calculated by expanding structure edges of a volume of the object in the volume image with a predetermined size. The volume of the object is subtracted from the expanded volume of the object for determining an immediate vicinity of the object. A further object in the volume image having a determined minimum volume in the immediate vicinity of the object is segmented. A number of voxels of the further object is compared with a total number of voxels in the immediate vicinity of the object for determining the vascularity of the object.

Abstract: As an ROI for display and an ROI for valve observation as well as a projecting direction are input, a volume-rendering processing unit creates a first image in the ROI for display through volume rendering processing, and the ray-tracing processing unit creates a second image in the ROI for valve observation through ray tracing processing. An image compositing unit then creates a composite image by compositing the first image and the second image, and the composite image created by the image compositing unit (13) is displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that facilitate generating visual representations of characterized tissue based upon ultrasound echo information obtained from a portion of an imaged body. The system includes a first filter having a first filter band that is applied to a near range portion of the ultrasound echo information to render near range filtered echo information. A second filter, having a second filter band that covers a frequency range of the first filter band, is applied to a far range portion of the ultrasound echo information to render far range filtered echo information. The system furthermore includes a set of characterization criteria that are applied to the near and far range filtered echo information. The characterized near and far range image data are thereafter combined into a single tissue-characterization image.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus: in conjunction with change of a projection region using an operation part, changes a viewpoint to a position where a reference cross section is in front and the changed projection region is on the back; in conjunction with change of the viewpoint using the operation part, changes a region where the reference cross section is in front and the changed viewpoint is on the back to the projection region; in conjunction with change of a scanning region using the operation part, changes the viewpoint to a position where the reference cross section is in front and the changed scanning region is on the back; in conjunction with change of the viewpoint using the operation part, changes the scanning region to a region where the reference cross section is in front and the viewpoint is on the back; and then executes rendering.

Abstract: Provided is an image capturing apparatus comprising a light emitting section that emits light to a subject; a light receiving section that receives light in a first wavelength region and light in a second wavelength region from the subject, the second wavelength region being different from the first wavelength region; a reflectance calculating section that calculates a first reflectance of light in the first wavelength region from the subject and a second reflectance of light in the second wavelength region from the subject, based on the light emitted by the light emitting section and the light received by the light receiving section; and a depth identifying section that calculates a depth, from a surface of the subject, of an object inside the subject that is included in an image resulting from the light received by the light receiving section, based on the first reflectance and the second reflectance.

Abstract: A methods for imaging tissue using diffuse optical tomography with digital detection includes directing at the tissue a plurality of amplitude modulated optical signals from a plurality of optical signal sources illuminating the tissue at a plurality of locations; detecting a resulting plurality of attenuated optical signals exiting the tissue to obtain a plurality of analog signals containing diffuse optical tomographic information; converting the analog signals into digital signals; recovering the tomographic information from the digital signals using a digital signal processor-based detection module that performs digital detection, wherein the detection module includes a master digital signal processing subsystem and at least one slave digital signal processing subsystem that processes at least a portion of the digital signals and the master digital signal processing subsystem controls the at least one slave digital signal processing subsystem; and transmitting the recovered tomographic information in digi

Abstract: Methods and apparatus assist in planning routes through hollow, branching organs in patients to optimize subsequent endoscopic procedures. Information is provided about the organ and a follow-on endoscopic procedure associated with the organ. The most appropriate navigable route or routes to a target region of interest (ROI) within the organ are then identified given anatomical, endoscopic-device, or procedure-specific constraints derived from the information provided. The method may include the step of modifying the viewing direction at each site along a route to give physically meaningful navigation directions or to reflect the requirements of a follow-on live endoscopic procedure. An existing route may further be extended, if necessary, to an ROI beyond the organ. The information provided may include anatomical constraints that define locations or organs to avoid; anatomical constraints that confine the route within specific geometric locations; or a metric for selecting the most appropriate route.

Abstract: Tracking based on the gradient fields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners based on passive operation of the tracking system without any change of the scanner's hardware or mode of operation. To achieve better tracking performance, a technique to create a custom MRI pulse sequence is disclosed. Through this technique any standard pulse sequence of the scanner can be modified to include gradient activations specifically designated for tracking. These tracking gradient activations are added in a way that does not affect the image quality of the native sequence. The scan time may remain the same as with the native sequence or longer due to the additional gradient activations. The tracking system itself can use all the gradient activations (gradient activations for imaging and gradient activations for tracking) or eliminate some of the gradients and lock onto the specific gradient activations that are added to the custom pulse sequence.

Abstract: Tissue Pulsatility Imaging (TPI) is an ultrasonic technique developed to measure tissue displacement or strain in the brain due to blood flow over the cardiac and respiratory cycles. Such measurements can be used to facilitate the mapping of brain function as well as to monitor cerebral vasoreactivity. Significantly, because tissue scatters ultrasound to a greater extend than does blood, using ultrasound to measure tissue displacement or strain in the brain is easier to implement than using ultrasound to measure blood flow in the brain. Significantly, transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) has been used to measure blood flow in the brain to map brain function and monitor cerebral vasoreactivity; however, TCD can only acquire data through the three acoustic windows in the skull, limiting the usefulness of TCD. TPI is not so limited.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasound image picking-up device that can correct a positional shift from a reference image before therapy even with insufficient clarity of an ultrasound image.

Abstract: A novel diagnostic ultrasound apparatus has a plurality of ultrasound probes 1, delay means pairs 4 and 7 arranged respectively in the plurality of ultrasound probes to electronically delay the timings of transmissions or receptions of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic transducers, position/orientation detecting means 10 and delay control signal generating means for generating a delay control signal to control signal delays of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasound probes, using information acquired from the means 10. The delay control signal is input to the delay means to control the timings of transmission of ultrasonic waves to a target object of examination.

Abstract: Position detection of a medical device is prevented from being impossible even when the frequency characteristic of a magnetic induction coil is varied in accordance with the state of an external magnetic field for guiding the medical device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an IQ signal acquiring unit, a signal generating unit, a first Doppler signal extracting unit and a second Doppler signal extracting unit. The IQ signal acquiring unit acquires a plurality of groups including an ultrasonic reception IQ signal, under respective interference conditions that differ from one another. The signal generating unit generates an added signal by adding the groups, and to generate an added amplitude signal by adding the amplitudes of the groups. The first Doppler signal extracting unit extracts a first Doppler signal that corresponds to motion from the added signal. The second Doppler signal extracting unit configured to extract a second Doppler signal having a property that differ from the property of the first Doppler signal. At this point, the Doppler signal extracting units are configured so as to extract the Doppler signals respectively while reducing an artifact due to tissue motion.

Abstract: A method and system for medical imaging employs an excitation source configured to cause an object having a plurality of cells to at least one of emit, reflect, and fluoresce light. An optical receptor is employed that is configured to receive the light from the object. A filter assembly receives the light from the optical receptor and filters the light. An image processor having a field of view (FOV) substantially greater than a diameter of a cell of the object and an analysis resolution substantially matched to the diameter of a cell of the object that receives the filtered light from the filter and analyzes the filtered light corresponding to each cell in the FOV. A feedback system is provided that is configured to provide an indication of a state of each cell in the FOV and a location of a cell in the FOV meeting a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A sensing insert device (100) is disclosed for measuring a parameter of the muscular-skeletal system. The sensing insert device (100) can be temporary or permanent. The sensing module (200) is a self-contained encapsulated measurement device having at least one contacting surface that couples to the muscular-skeletal system. The sensing module (200) comprises one or more sensing assemblages (1802), electronic circuitry (307), an antenna (2302), and communication circuitry (320). The sensing assemblages (1802) are between a top plate (1502) and a bottom plate (1504) in a sensing platform (121). The bottom plate (1504) is supported by a ledge (1708) on an interior surface of a sidewall (1716) of a housing (1706). A cap (1702) couples to top plate (1502). The cap (1702) is adhesively coupled to the housing (1706). The adhesive is flexible allowing movement of the cap (1702) when a force, pressure, or load is applied thereto.