Patents Examined by Katherine L Fernandez
  • Patent number: 10588604
    Abstract: Ultrasound motion-estimation includes issuing multiple ultrasound pulses, spaced apart from each other in a propagation direction of a shear wave, to track axial motion caused by the wave. The wave has been induced by an axially-directed push. Based on the motion, autocorrelation is used to estimate an axial displacement. The estimate is used as a starting point (234) in a time-domain based motion tracking algorithm for modifying the estimate so as to yield a modified displacement. The modification can constitute an improvement upon the estimate. The issuing may correspondingly occur from a number of acoustic windows, multiple ultrasound imaging probes imaging respectively via the windows. The autocorrelation, and algorithm, operate specifically on the imaging acquired via the pulses used in tracking the motion caused by the wave that was induced by the push, the push being a single push.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Hua Xie, Shiwei Zhou, Jean-Luc Robert, Vijay Thakur Shamdasani
  • Patent number: 10588598
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes: a probe; a transmission unit configured to cause the probe to transmit a ultrasonic beam; a reception unit configured to receive analog element signals output by the probe; an A/D conversion unit configured to perform A/D conversion on the analog element signal to obtain first element data; and a data processing unit configured to generate second element data from a plurality of the pieces of first element data, wherein the data processing unit changes conditions of acquisition of two or more of the pieces of first element data for generating the second element data depending on a depth of a position in which the second element data is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10582911
    Abstract: For acoustic radiation force ultrasound imaging, multiple displacement profiles for a given location are acquired. Physiological and/or transducer axial and/or lateral motion are accounted for using the displacements from the different acoustic radiation force impulses. For axial motion, a difference between the displacements of the different profiles provides information about motion during displacement at the location caused by just the undesired motion. A more accurate estimate of the undesired motion for removing from the displacement profile is provided. For lateral motion, the displacement profiles are obtained using waves traveling from different directions relative to the given location. An average of velocities estimated from the different profiles removes undesired lateral motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Yassin Labyed, Liexiang Fan
  • Patent number: 10575756
    Abstract: A navigation system for and method of tracking the position of the work target is provided. The navigation system can detect distortions of a trackable device during the navigation procedure and compensate for such deformation in a way that reduces or eliminates navigational error and/or avoids or reduces the need to re-set the navigation system during a navigation procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Stryker European Holdings I, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Schoepp, Jochen Breisacher, Juergen Kaltenbrunn
  • Patent number: 10575826
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes a transmitter/receiver, an adder/subtractor and an image generating unit. The transmitter/receiver performs a first set of ultrasound transmission/reception and a second set of ultrasound transmission/reception, on a same scanning line of an imaging region of a subject administered with a contrast agent, for a plurality of sets, to output reflected wave data for the plurality of the sets, the first set of the ultrasound transmission/reception performing amplitude-modulated or amplitude- and phase-modulated ultrasound transmission transmitted a plurality of times and receiving reflected waves, and the second set of the ultrasound transmission/reception being transmission/reception whose phase modulation being different from phase modulation of the first set of the ultrasound transmission/reception. The adder/subtractor adds or subtracts the reflected wave data for the plurality of the sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Yoshiara, Kuramitsu Nishihara, Akihiro Kakee, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 10564281
    Abstract: An ultrasonography apparatus includes an acquiring unit, a calculating unit, a multiplying unit, and a generating unit. The acquiring unit acquires a plurality of reception signals that are generated by assigning various kinds of weights on multiple reflected wave signals to which a delay according to a position in a reception aperture is given, and by adding the weighted signals for respective kinds of the weights. The calculating unit calculates a coefficient corresponding to each of positions on a scan line of the reception signals, based on any one of a signal and pixel value of each of positions based on at least one reception signal. The multiplying unit multiplies any one of the values of each of positions based on at least one different reception signal from said reception signal(s) by the coefficient to acquire output data. The generating unit generates ultrasonic image data based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Abe, Yasunori Honjo
  • Patent number: 10561377
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for charged particle tomography imaging. In one aspect, a system includes a charged particle tomography scanner (CPTS) unit to detect individual charged particles of an emitted charged particle beam delivered to a subject by a charged particle delivery (CPD) system, and a processing unit to determine the angular trajectory change (scattering) and energy loss of the charged particle beam based on detected trajectory information and produce an anatomical image. The CPTS unit includes two detectors, one positioned between the subject and the CPD system, and the other detector positioned opposite to the first detector to detect the trajectory information of the individual charged particles of the charged particle beam having passed through the first detector and the subject, and a motion control unit to move the detectors, in which the detectors' size covers an area at least that of the beam's cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Decision Sciences International Corporation
    Inventors: Michael James Sossong, Weidong Luo
  • Patent number: 10561371
    Abstract: A system for determining a location of an electrode of a medical device (e.g., a catheter) in a body of a patient includes a localization block for producing an uncompensated electrode location, a motion compensation block for producing a compensation signal (i.e., for respiration, cardiac, etc.), and a mechanism for subtracting the compensation signal from the uncompensated electrode location. The result is a corrected electrode location substantially free of respiration and cardiac artifacts. The motion compensation block includes a dynamic adaptation feature which accounts for changes in a patient's respiration patterns as well as intentional movements of the medical device to different locations within the patient's body. The system further includes an automatic compensation gain control which suppresses compensation when certain conditions, such as noise or sudden patch impedance changes, are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
    Inventors: Lev A. Koyrakh, Eric J. Voth, John A. Hauck, Jeffrey A. Schweitzer
  • Patent number: 10555721
    Abstract: Nonlinear ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclose. In one aspect, a nonlinear ultrasound imaging system includes a first transducer configured to transmit a first ultrasound signal along a scan line, a second transducer configured to sweep a second ultrasound signal along the scan line such that the first and second ultrasound signals intersect at a plurality of voxels, and a third transducer configured to receive echoes associated with interactions of the first and second ultrasound signals at the plurality of voxels. The nonlinear ultrasound imaging system further includes a processor configured to generate an ultrasound image based on the echoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Yilei Li, Steven Chu
  • Patent number: 10555709
    Abstract: In one aspect, a charged particle tomography and radiation therapy system includes a charged particle tomography scanner (CPTS) unit to detect at least some of the charged particles of an emitted charged particle beam delivered to a region of interest of a subject. A processing unit can determine energy loss of the charged particle beam based on the detected trajectory information. An incoming detector is positioned to detect trajectory information of the at least some of the charged particles entering the subject. An outgoing detector is positioned to detect trajectory information of the at least some of the charged particles passing through and exiting the subject. A motion control unit can control movement of the incoming and outgoing detectors. The incoming and outgoing detectors are sized to cover at least an area substantially equivalent to the beam's cross-section. The processing unit can map radiation dose of the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Decision Sciences International Corporation
    Inventors: Michael James Sossong, Weidong Luo
  • Patent number: 10548564
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing ultrasound data are provided. The disclosure includes using at least one computer hardware processor to perform obtaining ultrasound data generated based, at least in part, on one or more ultrasound signals from an imaged region of a subject, the ultrasound data comprising fundamental frequency ultrasound data and harmonic frequency ultrasound data, calculating shadow intensity data based at least in part on the harmonic frequency ultrasound data, generating, based at least in part on the fundamental frequency ultrasound data, an indication of bone presence in the imaged region, generating, based at least in part on the shadow intensity data, an indication of tissue presence in the imaged region, and generating an ultrasound image of the subject at least in part by combining the indication of bone presence and the indication of tissue presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Rivanna Medical, LLC
    Inventors: Frank William Mauldin, Jr., Kevin Owen
  • Patent number: 10548572
    Abstract: An ultrasound processing device including an interleaver that obtains a combined wavefront frame sequence by interleaving a plurality of wavefront frame sequences; and a calculator that calculates shear wave speed and elastic modulus in a subject, by performing calculations using change amounts of propagation positions of a shear wave indicated by the combined wavefront frame sequence. The interleaving by the interleaver comprises frame interleaving and/or element array direction interleaving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yasuaki Susumu
  • Patent number: 10542962
    Abstract: Radiation treatment is delivered to a patient by positioning the patient such that a radiation beam is delivered to a lesion within the patient along a beam-delivery path while securing a diagnostic imaging device about the patient such that the diagnostic imaging device does not intersect the beam-delivery path. Radiation therapy is simultaneously delivered along the beam-delivery path while diagnostic images are obtained using the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Elekta, LTD
    Inventors: Martin Lachaine, Sebastien Tremblay, Philippe Fortier, Sergei Koptenko, Tony Falco
  • Patent number: 10537262
    Abstract: A system for detecting a type of stroke includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive heart data regarding a heart rhythm of a patient and physiological data regarding a physiological characteristic of the patient. The heart data is indicative of an occurrence of atrial fibrillation and the physiological data is indicative of an occurrence of a stroke. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a likelihood that the stroke was an embolic stroke based on the heart data and to provide an output including an indication of the likelihood that the stroke was an embolic stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D. A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K. Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10524823
    Abstract: When an image representing an organ in which an excision region has been identified in such a manner that a blood vessel region in the organ is visually recognizable is generated from a three-dimensional image of the organ, an input specifying a depth of cutting is received, and a portion of a boundary surface within the specified depth of cutting along the boundary surface from an outer edge of the boundary surface toward an inside is determined as a cutting surface, and the boundary surface being between the excision region and a non-excision region in the organ. The image representing the organ in such a manner that only a partial blood vessel region, which is present in a neighborhood region of the cutting surface in the blood vessel region of the organ, is visually recognizable is generated from the three-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Futoshi Sakuragi
  • Patent number: 10517564
    Abstract: Techniques for mapping behavior of a heart include acquiring a series of two or more images of the heart. The series of images is taken at one or more pixel locations, each pixel location corresponding to a region of the heart. Image data corresponding to the pixel locations can be obtained, and a periodicity of the image data measured for each of the pixel locations over the series of images. The periodicity corresponds to an electromechanical signal of the heart in the region corresponding to the measured one or more pixel locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Elisa E. Konofagou, Jean Provost, Alok Gambhir, Alexandre Costet, Elaine Wan, Julien Grondin
  • Patent number: 10517559
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus includes a counting unit, a region of interest setting unit, a normalization unit, and an image generation unit. The counting unit counts radiation emitted from radioisotopes in an imaging region of an object. The ROI setting unit sets a region of interest (ROI) in the imaging region. The normalization unit determines association between count values and pixel values of display pixels for the ROI in accordance with a distribution of the count values of the display pixels corresponding to the ROI. The image generation unit generates an image of the ROI based on the association between the count values and the pixel values for the ROI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kimoto, Yoshihiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10518065
    Abstract: A method for visualization and/or administration of medication of and into the sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess of a patient is provided. The method includes providing a sphenocath and inserting a guidewire into the nostril of a patient to a target area proximate the sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess of the patient. The sphenocath is advanced over the guidewire and a catheter hub of the sphenocath is rotated relative to a sheath hub to conform to an anatomy of the patient's sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess, such that the distal end of the catheter tube is proximal to the target area. The sphenocath is then advanced relative to a sheath assembly so that the distal end of a sphenocath catheter tube extends from a sphenocath sheath tube distal end and bends along the guidewire. The guidewire is removed and contrast media, fluids, and/or medication is administered to the patient's sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine ganglion disposed within the sphenopalatine recess of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: JET MEDICAL INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Linden, Frank Debartola, Donald Geer, Kevin E. Sanford, Daryl J. Clark, Timothy M. Schweikert
  • Patent number: 10512444
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which assesses regurgitant flow through a mitral valve by color-flow imaging. A Doppler processor produces Doppler velocity measurements of blood flow around a regurgitant valve to identify an iso-velocity surface to be used in the PISA method of regurgitant flow quantification. The velocity measurements are used to color pixels in the colorflow image and are mapped to a plurality of colors for a color bar used with the image. The color bar exhibits distinct color transitions at one or more velocities in the velocity range of the color bar which distinctively identify an iso-velocity surface in the colorflow image. The color bar may be formed with an aliasing velocity in the middle of the bar, between a zero velocity reference color of the bar and an end of the bar, and the aliasing velocity aligned with a desired iso-velocity and used to create the color transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Karl Erhard Thiele, Qifeng Wei, Mona Shrestha
  • Patent number: 10506943
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an intrabody region of a patient. The method comprises intercepting electromagnetic (EM) radiation from the intrabody region in a plurality of EM radiation sessions during a period of at least 6 hours, calculating a dielectric related change of the intrabody region by analyzing respective the intercepted EM radiation, detecting a physiological pattern according to said dielectric related change and outputting a notification indicating the physiological pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilan Kochba, Dan Rappaport, Amir Saroka, Shlomi Bergida, Nadav Mizrahi, Amir Ronen