Patents Examined by Lawrence N Laryea
  • Patent number: 7848789
    Abstract: A position sensing system includes a probe adapted to be introduced into a body cavity of a subject. The lasso-shaped probe includes a magnetic field transducer in the rigid section proximal to the flexible lasso-shaped distal section which has at least one probe electrode. A control unit is configured to measure position coordinates of the probe using the magnetic field transducer. The control unit also measures an impedance between the at least one probe electrodes and one or more points on a body surface of the subject. Using the measured position coordinates, the control unit calibrates the measured impedance and provides an indication of the deformation and deflection of the flexible lasso-shaped distal section in relation to the magnetic field transducer in the rigid proximal section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Biosense Webster, Inc.
    Inventors: Assaf Govari, Andres Claudio Altmann, Yitzhack Schwartz, Yaron Ephrath
  • Patent number: 7837625
    Abstract: In a tissue tracking imaging (TTI) method, a velocity distribution image from which a translation velocity component or a rotation velocity component resulting from movement of a body, etc. is removed is generated every time phase. By tracking a predetermined position of a tissue on the basis of the velocity distribution image and generating a motion information image, it is possible to provide a diagnostic image having higher reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical System Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Abe
  • Patent number: 7831291
    Abstract: A cradle position sensing mechanism that includes a scale unit having a scale, which is used to detect the position of the cradle, formed thereon and being extended to cover a sliding range within which the cradle can be slid; and a sensor unit that moves in the directions, in which the scale unit is extended, along with the slide of the cradle so as to detect the scale of the scale unit. The cradle position sensing mechanism serves as a digital linear encoder. Based on the reading on the scale detected by the sensor, the cradle position sensing mechanism calculates the position into which the cradle is slid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
    Inventors: Akira Izuhara, Katsumi Azu
  • Patent number: 7818838
    Abstract: The invention concerns a patient positioning system for radiotherapy, comprising a device for positioning a patient within the framework of treatment planning, using image detection and/or carrying out radiation treatment, comprising a patient bed (3, 42, 50) on which a patient is positioned, wherein means are provided by which the same bed (3, 42, 50) may be arranged both on a planning couch (8) for image detection within the framework of treatment planning as well as on a radiotherapy table (1, 44), and by providing a reference means (54) on the patient bed by which the position of the immobilised patient or of a marked radiation target is determined with respect to the patient bed (3, 42, 50). Within this framework, a corresponding method is also provided, as well as an adjusting means for the transport and the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: BrainLAB AG
    Inventors: Stephan Erbel, Stephan Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 7819809
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for pivoting an ultrasound element assembly of a probe in an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus. A pivot shaft is rotatably coupled to a base and supports the ultrasound element assembly. A wire holder is coupled to the pivot shaft. A driving motor is mounted to the base and has a driving shaft. A wire rope assembly includes a housing connected to the driving shaft of the driving motor to be rotated together therewith, an elastic member provided in the housing, and a pair of wire ropes, a first end of each wire rope being connected to the wire holder and a second end of each wire rope being connected to the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Medison Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seong Rae Kim
  • Patent number: 7818043
    Abstract: Cardiac information of a patient is displayed by obtaining a plurality of MRI cine loops of the heart of the patient at a plurality of heart rates, the plurality of cine loops including both wall motion cine loops and at least one perfusion cine loops and simultaneously displaying both the wall motion cine loops and the at least one perfusion cine loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
    Inventors: Craig A. Hamilton, William Gregory Hundley
  • Patent number: 7775979
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer probe having a highly integrated interface circuit array. Low-voltage transmit control signals from the system are transmitted on the system transmit channels via the ultrasound probe cable and into the interface circuit array. These transmit control signals are routed through the interface circuit array using a dense switching matrix. Once the low-voltage transmit control signals reach individual cells within the interface array, they are decoded and used to control local high-voltage pulser circuits to drive individual ultrasound transducer elements made up of selected subelements that are co-integrated with the interface electronics. The interface cell circuitry further comprises a high-voltage transmit/receive switch, which is closed when the high-voltage pulser is transmitting to protect the low-voltage components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kai E. Thomenius, Robert Gideon Wodnicki, Ye-Ming Li
  • Patent number: 7774044
    Abstract: A method for augmented reality navigation of a medical intervention includes providing a stereoscopic head mounted display, the display including a pair of stereo viewing cameras, at least one tracking camera, and a stereoscopic guidance display. During a medical intervention on a patient, the patient's body pose is determined from a rigid body transformation between the tracking camera and frame markers on the scanning table, and the pose of an intervention instrument with respect to the table is determined. A visual representation of the patient overlaid with an image of the intervention target, the instrument, and a path for guiding the instrument to perform said medical intervention is displayed in the stereoscopic guidance display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Sauer, Ali Khamene, Sebastian Vogt
  • Patent number: 7766832
    Abstract: A means to which at least two ROIs are input, a calculating means that calculates strain values of tissue with respect to the at least two ROIs by applying a pressure onto an object, and a display means that displays the strain values of the at least two ROIs so as to be compared with each other are comprised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Yoko Okamura, Masatoshi Nishino, Jiro Higuchi, Tetsuya Higashi
  • Patent number: 7761134
    Abstract: A system and method to model a tracking curve of an in-vivo device capturing in-vivo data of the colon is provided. Data analysis is performed on a raw tracking curve to identify one or more milestone data points that correspond to defined locations in the colon. A modeled path may be defined between and along the selected milestone data points. Raw tracking curve data may be translated to modeled data along the modeled path. The modeled tracking curve may be displayed alongside a streaming display of captured in-vivo image frames of the colon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Given Imaging Ltd.
    Inventors: Eli Horn, Daniel Gat, Raphael Rabinovitz, Yaacov Nitzan
  • Patent number: 7727156
    Abstract: Ultrasound probes that transmits/receives ultrasound pulses with frequencies both in a low frequency (LF) and a high frequency (HF) band, where the radiation surfaces of said HF and LF bands at least have a common region. Several solutions for transmission (and reception) of LF and HF pulses through the same radiation surface are given. The arrays and elements can be of a general type, for example linear phased or switched arrays, or annular arrays or elements with division in both azimuth and elevation direction, like a 1.5D, a 1.75D and a full 2D array. The LF and HF element division and array apertures can also be different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventors: Bjørn A. J. Angelsen, Tonni F. Johansen, Rune Hansen, Svein-Erik Maasoey, Peter Näsholm
  • Patent number: 7720521
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for performing image guided interventional and surgical procedures, including various procedures to treat sinusitis and other disorders of the paranasal sinuses, ears, nose or throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Acclarent, Inc.
    Inventors: John Y. Chang, Joshua Makower, Julia D. Vrany, John H. Morriss, Ketan P. Muni
  • Patent number: 7720528
    Abstract: Catheter for insertion into a vessel, comprising a reversibly inflatable balloon (10, 25) provided in the area of the catheter tip, on the outside of which a stent (11) to be implanted in the vessel is arranged, and at least one imaging device (14, 21, 22) arranged in the area of the catheter tip for optical coherence tomography, which is arranged or configured such that the area of the vessel, in which the balloon (10, 25) is positioned, can be captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Maschke
  • Patent number: 7713203
    Abstract: The inventive ultrasound treating device comprises a first processing transducer set (11) for transmitting a beam of high-intensity ultrasound waves to a treatable area (3), wherein said beam comprises an aspheric wavefront and forms a focal spot (6) on the treatable area elongated and inclined with respect to the direction of the ultrasound wave propagation and the focal spot (6) length is less than the length of the transducer (11). The inventive device is particularly suitable for treating an elongated area such as vein portions enveloping a pathological valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Inserm and Theraclion
    Inventors: François Lacoste, Jean-Yves Chapelon, Olivier Pichot, René Milleret, Samuel Pichardo
  • Patent number: 7704208
    Abstract: An ultrasound image display method and System for a two-dimensional monitor (40) that synchronizes a swiveling or rotating volumetrically rendered three-dimensional ultrasound image (76) with the oscillation of an oscillating ultrasound object (72), such as a beating heart or breathing lung. The invention includes swiveling instructions for repetitively swiveling the volumetric ultrasound image (76) in three-dimensional space. Oscillation frequency measuring instructions (108) measure the oscillating ultrasound object's oscillation frequency. Synchronization instructions (118) synchronize a repetitive rotation of the object with the oscillation frequency such that at a predetermined point the beginning of a rotation repetition (110) coincides with the beginning of an oscillation. The volumetric ultrasound image display (76) provides the options of a live display, a variably static display, and pre-recorded display capable of continuous replay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Karl Thiele
  • Patent number: 7699780
    Abstract: A method of treating tissue within a body includes directing an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of transducer elements towards target body tissue, and delivering ultrasound energy towards the target tissue from the transducer elements such that an energy intensity at the target tissue is at or above a prescribed treatment level, while an energy intensity at tissue to be protected in the ultrasound energy path of the transducer elements is at or below a prescribed safety level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Insightec—Image-Guided Treatment Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuki Vitek, Kobi Vortman
  • Patent number: 7699776
    Abstract: A hand held ultrasonic instrument (10) is provided in a portable unit that performs C-Mode imaging and collects 3D image data. In a preferred embodiment a transducer array (60), display unit (20), beamformer (40), power system, and image processor are integrated in one enclosure weighing less than three pounds. In operation, the portable unit is scanned across a target and the displayed image is conveniently presented to the operator whereby the displayed image corresponds exactly to the target, or a scaled fashion if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: William F. Walker, John A. Hossack, Travis N. Blalock
  • Patent number: 7699778
    Abstract: An ultrasound cardiac stimulation system comprising: a spatially selective ultrasound source comprising at least one ultrasound transducer located outside the circulatory system; and a controller; where the controller generates an electrical response in the heart by directing the ultrasound source to transmit a high enough power level of ultrasound to one or more locations in the heart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd.
    Inventor: Dan Adam
  • Patent number: 7702377
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method involves detection of a series of trigger events and acquisition of successive segments of magnetic resonance signals from respective segments of k-space. The occurrence of the next trigger event is predicted, e.g. by way of a running average, on the basis of the detected series of trigger events. Acquisition of at least one individual segment of magnetic resonance signals is triggered on the basis of the occurrence of the predicted trigger event. Triggering of the acquisition is based on the predicted trigger event, e.g. in that the instant and duration of the acquisition is adjusted on the basis of the prediction of the trigger event. Finally, a magnetic resonance image is reconstructed from several segments of magnetic resonance signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Marc Kouwenhoven
  • Patent number: 7695439
    Abstract: Automated analysis of ultrasound data is provided to extract event times, such as valve opening and closing times. Different types of ultrasound data, such as B-mode, M-mode, tissue velocity or flow velocity, are processed by a processor to identify automatically the event times. The event times are used for the processing of ultrasound data or to assist diagnosis. The event times may be used to estimate other event times in different heart cycles, such as with interpolation or extrapolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: John I. Jackson, Lei Sui