Abstract: An apparatus to determine if a constituent member has been damaged. The constituent member can be a medical product comprising a coating, or a substance kneaded into the product, which emits a fluorescence in the near-infrared region. The apparatus to determine if this constituent member has been damaged includes an irradiation light source, an optical filter, an imaging unit, a display unit and a control unit connected to the light source, the optical filter and the imaging unit to determine and inform that damage has occurred in the constituent member.

Abstract: Implantable magnetic markers (seeds) provide a higher degree of flexibility and convenience. The magnetic field that a marker provides is determined by the magnetic properties of the materials used and the dimensions of the marker—in general, a larger marker is easier to locate. Larger diameter markers may be used, but they should be much smaller than the average tumor size if they are to provide a useful degree of localization. An implantable magnetic marker is provided with two or more magnetic elements comprising permanent magnets connected by a mechanical connector to resiliently retain a first orientation when deployed and a second orientation before and/or during implantation. This allows complex magnetic configurations to be implanted, while retaining a simplified implantation method independent of the number of magnetic elements used.

Abstract: A method for detecting evidence of a stroke in a patient may involve securing a volumetric integral phase-shift spectroscopy (VIPS) device to the patient's head, transmitting a first signal from a first transmitter of the VIPS device through a left hemisphere of the patient's brain to a receiver of the VIPS device, transmitting a second signal from a second transmitter of the VIPS device through a right hemisphere of the patient's brain to the receiver, and detecting the evidence of the stroke, with the VIPS device.

Abstract: Generally, systems, methods, and apparatus related to the use of a dynamic imaging modality in an image guided intervention are disclosed herein. More specifically, the use of such modalities in sealing a bodily opening, such as those that may be formed during an invasive medical procedure are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method includes viewing a representation of an instrument within a body of a patient, adjusting a position of the instrument based on the viewing such that a portion of the instrument is at a location within the body of the patient, and delivering a sealant via the instrument to the location within the body of the patient. The sealant is configured to seal an opening in the body part.

Abstract: A method and system for analyzing stiffness in a volume of tissue, the method including: emitting acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue with an array of ultrasound transmitters; detecting, with an array of ultrasound receivers, a set of acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms transmitted through the volume of tissue; generating, from the set of acoustic signals, a sound speed map and an acoustic attenuation map of a region of the volume of tissue, generating a stiffness map derived from combination of a set of sound speed parameter values of the sound speed map and a corresponding set of acoustic attenuation parameter values of the acoustic attenuation map, the stiffness map representing the distribution of the stiffness parameter across the region; and at a display in communication with the computer processor, rendering a stiffness image of the volume of tissue, based upon the stiffness map.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic device and ultrasonic three-dimensional image generation method generate a three-dimensional image by expressing interaction by dispersion, absorption, or the like of light in tissue or between tissues. The ultrasonic diagnostic device displays a three-dimensional image of a target object based on at least one piece of volume data among luminance volume data, blood flow volume data, and elasticity volume data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for treating cellulite including an apparatus that applies or a method involving disrupting, stretching, re-orienting or tearing septa to eliminate or reduce the appearance of cellulite. In one approach, an expandable member is placed between tissue layers to stretch or tear septa connecting tissue layers between which fat deposits are contained.

Abstract: Provided are an obstetric and gynecologic diagnosis apparatus and an obstetric and gynecologic diagnosis method using the same. The obstetric and gynecologic diagnosis apparatus includes a chair unit on which an object is mounted, the chair unit including an upper body support, a seat, and a leg cradle sequentially arranged in one direction and connected to each other; a storage configured to store body information of the object; an input interface configured to input identification (ID) information of the object; a controller configured to generate a control signal for moving at least one of the upper body support, the seat, and the leg cradle according to first body information of the object identified by the input ID information; and a driver configured to generate a driving force for moving at least one of the upper body support, the seat, and the leg cradle according to the control signal.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

Abstract: A biological information measuring apparatus includes a biomagnetism detector configured to detect biomagnetism of a subject, the biomagnetism detector including a temperature adjustment mechanism; and a radiation detector configured to acquire emitted radiation as digital image data. The radiation detector is disposed between a measurement region of the subject and the biomagnetism detector.

Abstract: In a photoacoustic measurement apparatus and a photoacoustic measurement system, it is possible to generate blood flow information using a photoacoustic image without requiring a separate tourniquet. A light source emits measurement light. A probe detects a photoacoustic wave generated in a subject after measurement light is emitted to the subject in each of the avascularized condition in which the subject is avascularized and the non-avascularized condition in which the subject is not avascularized. Photoacoustic image generation unit generates a photoacoustic image based on the detection signal of the photoacoustic wave. Blood flow information generation unit generates blood flow information based on the signal value of a photoacoustic image in a region of interest set in the photoacoustic image. The avascularization of the subject is performed by pressing the probe against the subject.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including a processor (20) configured to receive first and second sets of extraluminal images of a lumen, the second set being acquired while an endoluminal device is being moved through the lumen. The processor designates at least one of the first set of images as a roadmap image, and designates, within the lumen in the roadmap image, a roadmap pathway (42). A plurality of features (44, 46, 48, 50) that are visible within at least some of the second set of extraluminal images are identified, and an arrangement of three or more of the features within the image are compared to a shape of at least a portion of the roadmap pathway. Based upon the comparing, the identified features are mapped to locations along the roadmap pathway within the roadmap image. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for use with a plurality of angiographic image frames of a moving lumen of a subject, including aligning the image frames with each other. Using the aligned image frames, a time it takes a contrast agent to travel a known distance through the lumen is determined. At least partially in response thereto, a characteristic of the lumen is determined, and, in response to the determined characteristic, an output is generated on a display. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Medical radar devices, including ultra-wideband (UWB) devices, for use in assisting and/or guiding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by indicating one or more of: compression depth, compression frequency, and a return to spontaneous circulation. The devices and methods described herein may use reflected energy applied to a patient's chest to determine cardiac motion and/or chest compression and provide feedback to the person applying the CPR. In some variations the device is incorporated as a part of another resuscitation device, such as a defibrillator or automatic compression device.

Abstract: Needle interventions are widely used in the field of oncology for taking biopsies of tissue in order to inspect whether tissue is cancerous or not. To make these interventions more reliable feedback of what kind of tissue is in front of the needle is required. A way to achieve this is by making use of optical spectroscopy. This requires integration of fibers into the needle. These fibers are used to deliver light to illuminate the tissue in front of the needle and to collect back the reflected light from the tissue. The present invention proposes to integrate the fiber distal ends in the slanted bevel of the needle in such a way that at least one source-detector fiber pair has a distance that is larger than the outer diameter of the needle.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique for estimating the stiffness of tissues non-invasively. Shear waves are generated via external mechanical actuation and the tissue imaged with a specially designed MR pulse sequence. The resulting images are used to calculate the underlying properties. The application provides methods for acquiring MRE data using a single shot, echo planar imaging readout. The purpose of the developed sequence is to acquire MRE data using a single-shot, echo-planar imaging readout, avoiding to need for off-line image processing.

Abstract: An image display system is provided comprised of a virtual window system that creates a visual coherency between the patient's anatomical images and the actual patient by aligning the image on the display to the patient and then presenting the image to the user in a way that feels as if the user is looking directly into the patient through the display. The image shown within the image display system is dependent upon the position of the image display apparatus and the position of the user so that the display orientation of the image may be biased slightly toward the user to improve ergonomics and usability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for evaluating Range of Motion of a subject. An aspect of the present invention proposes a system for evaluating Range of Motion of a subject, comprising markers attached to at least two joints of a body part of the subject respectively; an image capturing device for capturing images of the markers when the subject is doing an exercise with the body part attached with the at least two markers; and an evaluating device communicated with the image capturing device, wherein the evaluating device includes a determining unit configured to determine whether the exercise done by the subject is valid for the evaluation of Range of Motion of the body part of the subject, and a calculating unit configured to, if the exercise is valid, calculate the parameters related to Range of Motion of the body part of the subject according to the images related to the valid exercise.

Abstract: A method of performing diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI) within a tissue of a patient using diffusion magnetic resonance data acquired from a portion of the tissue is disclosed. The diffusion magnetic resonance data includes a plurality of diffusion MR signals associated with one voxel and the one voxel represents an image of the portion of the tissue. The method includes computing an isotropic diffusion portion of the diffusion magnetic resonance data representing isotropic diffusion within the one voxel and dividing the isotropic diffusion portion, which includes a fraction of the diffusion magnetic resonance data representing isotropic diffusion, into a restricted isotropic diffusion portion and a non-restricted isotopic diffusion portion. The restricted isotropic diffusion portion includes a fraction of the isotropic diffusion portion with an apparent diffusion coefficient of less than 0.

Abstract: As part of a real-time three-dimensional (3D) cardiac imaging system and method, anatomical data of a cardiac structure may be acquired and a 3D model of the cardiac structure may be generated. Visual data relevant to a cardiac procedure may be generated, such as location and orientation of a catheter, tags, points, color-coded temperature information, and/or color-coded local activation times (LAT) for the cardiac structure. The visual data superimposed on the 3D model of the cardiac structure may be visually displayed on a visual display device. A glass state view may be generated by generating a modified set of the visual data that includes removing at least a portion of the visual data that obscures a view of an anatomical feature of interest and/or the catheter, and adding edge enhancement to the cardiac structure. The glass state view may be requested to be visually displayed on the visual display device.