Abstract: The invention relates to ultrasound imaging method and apparatus suitable for minimally invasive ultrasound diagnostic devices in cardiac ablation monitoring and in tumor ablation monitoring. The present invention proposes to manufacture a transducers assembly and system on a patterned flexible foil by embedding transducers patches in apertures on the foil surface. This provides great control of the acoustic properties of the transducer.

Abstract: An elongated member such as a catheter that uses ultrasound or optical coherence tomography “OCT”) technology to approximate the dimensions of a structure into which the catheter has been placed. The catheter includes multiple ultrasound transducers arranged in an annular or circumferential configuration on, embedded into or within the body of the elongated member so that distance measurements can be obtained between the elongated member and the wall of the immediately facing structure (e.g., a fluid-filled lumen). Utilizing these measurements, the present invention approximates for the physician the shape and size of the structure into which the elongated member is placed. The invention also includes a method for producing three-dimensional images from two-dimensional images.

Abstract: A whole body SPECT system (10) includes a patient support (14) and a static gantry (12) which includes a plurality of rings (40a,40b,40c) of radiation detectors (42). The patient support (14) supports a patient and moves the patient in an axial direction (18) through the static gantry (12). One or more processors (20,24,32) connected to the plurality of detectors records strikes of gamma photons in the radiation detectors (42) and reconstruct the recorded strikes of the gamma photons into a whole body image.

Abstract: A vibration generating unit includes an element unit, and the element unit includes a piezoelectric element generating an ultrasonic vibration by being supplied with electric power. A proximal-side fixing member abuts on the element unit from a proximal direction side and a distal-side fixing member abuts on the element unit from a distal direction side such that the element unit is sandwiched between the proximal-side fixing member and the distal-side fixing member in a longitudinal direction. The distal-side fixing member has a greater acoustic impedance than the proximal-side fixing member.

Abstract: A device for obtaining vital sign information of a living being comprises a detection unit that receives light in at least one wavelength interval reflected from at least a region of interest of a living being and that generates an input signal from the received light. A processing unit processes the input signal and derives vital sign information of the living being from the input signal by use of remote photoplethysmography. An illumination unit illuminates at least the region of interest with light, and a control unit controls the illumination unit based on the input signal and/or the derived vital sign information.

Abstract: An ultrasonic contrast imaging method and apparatus thereof. The method includes acquiring N frames of contrast image in an imaging period; projecting the N frames of contrast image to obtain a projection result image of the N frames of contrast image, wherein an nth group of original contrast image is projected in a projection template to obtain a projection result image of an nth frame of original contrast image, wherein the projection template is one frame of the nth group of original contrast image, and n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N, wherein the nth group of original contrast images is within a projection period and includes the nth original contrast image, and the projection period is a fixed value less than the imaging period; and displaying or storing the projection result image.