Abstract: A catheter includes a flexible braided shaft having a length sufficient to access a target vessel of the body, such as a renal artery. An electrode at the catheter's distal tip is configured to ablate extravascular target tissue, such as perivascular renal nerve tissue. An electrical conductor coupled to the electrode extends along a first lumen of the shaft. A second lumen of the shaft terminates at a port arrangement on an outer surface of the shaft near the electrode. The second lumen transports a contrast media from the catheter's proximal end and through the port arrangement. The catheter may include a steering arrangement and a lubricious coating on an outer surface of the shaft, allowing a clinician to navigate the catheter through vasculature and into the target vessel without use of a separate delivery sheath or guiding catheter.

Abstract: Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with automatically adapting MRI controlling parameters are described. One exemplary method embodiment includes configuring an MRI apparatus to acquire MR signal data using a non-rectilinear trajectory. The example method may also include acquiring MR signals, transforming the MR signals into image data, and selectively adapting the MRI controlling parameters based, at least in part, on information associated with the MR signals.

Abstract: A probe assembly is presented for use in monitoring one or more parameters of a subject. The probe assembly comprises: an acoustic port for transmitting acoustic radiation into a region of interest in the subject, at least one light output port for transmitting incident light towards the region of interest, at least one light input port for receiving light returned from the subject, and a control utility integrated in the probe assembly, said control utility being configured for controlling at least one condition of a monitoring procedure and enabling the monitoring procedure upon detecting that said at least one condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A trackable medical instrument for use in a computer assisted image guided surgery system having a digitizer for tracking the position of the instrument in three dimensional space and a display providing an indication of the position of the instrument with respect to images of a body part taken preoperatively, wherein the instrument comprises a tracking array located distally of a rotatable, axially fixed drive handle.

Abstract: A system and method for determining volume-related parameters of a biological tissue, such as ocular tissue, include a light source for projecting light towards the biological tissue, a receiver for receiving light reflected from the biological tissue at two spectral wavelengths, and an image acquisition system in communication with the receiver for forming an image from the reflected light at each wavelength. A processor applies a mathematical model to the image which compares the absorption of light by the biological tissue at a selected image point at each of the two spectral wavelengths to determine the volume-related parameters, such as the relative thickness and material properties, of the biological tissue at that location.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method of using an ultrasonic bath to enhance tissue perfusion, enhance the development of collateral blood vessels and/or enhance collateral circulation in an extremity in need thereof. Also described is an ultrasonic bath adapted to hold media and to permit the immersion of an extremity and comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers to generate and transmit ultrasonic energy to the extremity or the inventive method.

Abstract: A method of detecting a brain tumor includes administering indocyanine green to a living body; exposing brain tissue in the living body; irradiating the exposed brain tissue with excitation light of indocyanine green; obtaining an image based on fluorescence of the excited indocyanine green in the brain tissue, wherein the image is obtained using an endomicroscope; and identifying portions of the brain tissue corresponding to the brain tumor based on the image.

Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system is provided. The system includes a probe for acquiring ultrasound image data. A memory stores the acquired ultrasound image data. A processor generates an image based on the stored ultrasound image data. A presentation layer is provided for remotely accessing the generated image to display the generated image at a remote location.

Abstract: [Subject] To provide laser Doppler blood flow measuring method and device which achieve multi-dimensional measurement efficiently at a high degree of accuracy over a wide range with a simple optical system and device. [Solving Means] Laser light from a semiconductor laser 12 is split and formed into sheet lights Ls using a cylindrical lens 22, and the sheet lights Ls are crossed with each other at a predetermined position. A lens system 30 configured to form an image of scattered lights into a linear shape at a linear irradiation site Lx where the sheet lights Ls cross with each other is provided. An optical fiber array 32 having a plurality of optical fibers 34 is provided at an image-forming position of the lens system 30. Avalanche photodiodes 42 configured to convert the scattered lights which are shifted in frequency by the Doppler effect caused by the blood flow into electric signals for the each optical fiber 34 are provided.

Abstract: The controller causes a display to display body marks representing the body parts of a subject to be imaged. Furthermore, the controller causes the display to display subjective symptom marks corresponding to the subjective symptoms of a subject to be examined in a location within a body mark that has been designated by an examiner. The examiner conducts ultrasonic imaging by applying an ultrasonic probe to a subject to be examined while checking the location of the subjective symptom marks. The controller links a tomographic image obtained from the imaging to the subjective symptoms and causes a storage to store the same. In the medical examination, the controller causes the display to display the tomographic image and further causes the display to display the subjective symptom marks representing the subjective symptoms linked to the tomographic image.

Abstract: Method and system for ultrasound imaging of body tissue in which a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer (20) is oriented relative to the body such that ultrasonic waves generated by the FUS transducer (20) are directed toward the tissue being imaged. The FUS transducer (20) is operated to cause the formation of microbubbles (28) in the tissue and an ultrasound image of the tissue with the microbubbles (28) is acquired. Phase aberration in the acquired ultrasound image may be corrected, if necessary, using each microbubble (28) as a point source or point-like scatterer. Microbubble (28) formation can therefore be obtained in a non-invasive manner since FUS-induced microbubble (28) formation does not require the insertion of interventional tools into the body.

Abstract: In a method and device for automatic determination of a flow of a bodily fluid within vessels of an organism by a magnetic resonance, a magnetic resonance angiography to procedure is implemented generate magnetic resonance angiography images, a of magnetic resonance flow measurement is implemented to generate magnetic resonance flow images, and the magnetic resonance angiography images are applied to the magnetic resonance flow images as a mask to produce a resulting image depicting vessels with flow therein.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and products to identify suitable donor sites for harvesting bone-cartilage grafts and to implant such bone-cartilage grafts. In some embodiments, a method includes providing a computer having access to a donor database, the donor database comprising information on each of a plurality of donor joint sites of the body, receiving first data relating to a defect of a joint of a patient, the defect comprising an area of bone, a portion of which includes at least one of, for example, missing and/or damaged cartilage, and identifying, based on the first data, at least one donor site from the donor database of joints for harvesting a graft of bone and cartilage to repair the defect.

Abstract: A method and system for treating tissue with a combined therapy profile is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, ultrasound energy is used to treat numerous depths of tissue within a region of interest and the spatial and temporal properties of the ultrasound energy are varied for more effective treatment. The method and system of the present invention are configured to treat all of the tissue from the surface on down and not spare intervening tissue.

Abstract: In a method for determining the ventilation of a lung of an object under examination by magnetic resonance imaging, at least two first lung-representing image data sets are acquired at different intervals of the breathing phase. The density change of the lung tissue is automatically determined from the signal difference between the image signals of the first image data sets in at least one corresponding region of the first lung-representing image data set. The lung or the thorax volume is automatically determined using at least two of the first image data sets, or using at least an additional second lung-representing image data set in a breathing phase that corresponds with the breathing phase of a first image data set. The localized, quantitative ventilation of the lung is automatically calculated depending on the density change of the lung tissue and the change of the lung or thorax volume.

Abstract: An inventive medical imaging marker includes a base (2) composed of a non-imageable material, three spherical members (10, 11, 12) provided in a predetermined positional relationship in the base (2) and each composed of an imageable material, and auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) provided in the base (2) and composed of the imageable material. The auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) respectively have linear portions (20L, 21L, 22L) which are disposed parallel to straight lines extending through center points of the three spherical members (10, 11, 12) and each have a predetermined length sufficient to serve as a mark. The center points of the three spherical members (10, 11, 12) can be correctly identified in a captured image with reference to the linear portions (20L, 21L, 22L) of the auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) of the inventive medical imaging marker. Thus, reference axes can be correctly defined in the image.

Abstract: A system to navigate an object traveling in an imaged subject is provided. The system includes a four-dimensional (4D) imaging system to create a first three-dimensional model of the acquired imaged data correlated relative to a time reference and defined relative to a first image coordinate system. A second imaging system creates a second three-dimensional model of the imaged subject defined relative to a second image coordinate system. A tracking system tracks movement and orientation of the object relative to a tracking coordinate system. A controller includes program instructions in combination with the processor operable to register the first and second image coordinate systems and the tracking coordinate system relative to a world coordinate system, and to combine the three-dimensional model created by the 4D imaging system with the three-dimensional model created by the second imaging system with a tracked location of the object relative to the world coordinate system.

Abstract: A lithotripsy system capable of 3D tracking monitors the acoustic reflection from the stone in order to focus the shock wave on the stone regardless of shock wave displacement or stone movement. The tracking and focusing is based on a phased array concept, allowing the lithotripsy head to remain stationary and well coupled to the body. An alternate shock wave steering is based on refraction by a variable liquid wedge.

Abstract: Sub-aperture control is provided for high intensity focused ultrasound. Test transmissions are made sequentially from different sub-apertures. The tissue response at the focal regions is determined and used to select sub-apertures. For example, one or more sub-apertures are not used where temperature does not rise above certain threshold or tissue displacement is weak, such as associated with intervening bone or attenuating tissue. Other factors may be used instead or in addition to tissue response at the focal region. Relative proximity of the sub-apertures to a lesion, angular distribution of the sub-apertures, shape or size of the sub-aperture focal regions as compared to the tissue to be treated, or combinations thereof may be used. Once selected, the relative weight for each sub-aperture may be adjusted based on measured tissue response for each sub-aperture, such as to provide more equal treatment contribution from different sub-apertures.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring fluid flow and pressure in a flexible conduit is disclosed. An embodiment of the system and method uses an ultrasound sensor for determining volume of flow and a tonometric system for determining pressure along a common length of a flexible conduit.