Patents Examined by Rajeev Siripurapu
  • Patent number: 9468777
    Abstract: A radiation therapy system comprises a radiation source generating a beam of radiation and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. An interface acts between the radiation source and the MRI apparatus that permits irradiation to be performed simultaneously with imaging. The MRI apparatus and radiation source are coupled such that the system can be used in a rotation mode whereby the radiation source can irradiate a subject from basically any angle without reducing MRI image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Alberta Health Services
    Inventors: B. Gino Fallone, Marco Carlone, Brad Murray
  • Patent number: 9289577
    Abstract: A catheter system for accessing the central venous system through an occlusion in the neck region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Bluegrass Vascular Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Gurley, Joseph Creagan Trautman, Brice Arnault de La Menardiere, Clayton Baldwin
  • Patent number: 9277866
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for obtaining qualitative and quantitative analysis of the optical properties or structures of tissue or turbid medium at one or more wavelengths via 1) detection at a single spatial location on the surface of a turbid medium (such as tissue) under two or more structured light conditions or 2) detection at two or more spatial locations on the surface under a single structured light condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: MODULATED IMAGING, INC.
    Inventor: David Cuccia
  • Patent number: 9220472
    Abstract: A puncturing needle holder is attached to a flat-panel x-ray detector such that it is visible in the x-ray image as a point. The point can involve the crossing area of two struts, which are attached to the flat-panel x-ray detector. Mappings are created in which on the one hand a region of the body to be punctured and on the other hand the point created by the puncturing needle holder are mapped by the x-ray images created with the flat-panel x-ray detector. The x-ray C-arm is moved until such time as precisely the puncturing needle holder is shown in the mapping so that it points to the region of the body to be punctured. Subsequent puncturing can then be carried out in a number of different ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Marcus Pfister
  • Patent number: 9220412
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for obtaining qualitative and quantitative analysis of the optical properties or structures of tissue or turbid medium at one or more wavelengths via 1) detection at a single spatial location on the surface of a turbid medium (such as tissue) under two or more structured light conditions or 2) detection at two or more spatial locations on the surface under a single structured light condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: MODULATED IMAGING INC.
    Inventor: David Cuccia
  • Patent number: 9214023
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a determination method that enables the position of a body part subject to vital movement to be determined, wherein the body part is to be irradiated. A region of an analytical image is determined, wherein the region represents a body part subject to vital movement, in particular a tumor in an anatomical body. A change in position from one analytical image to the next is performed that reflects the vital movement, wherein the body parts subject to vital movement are parts of the body that are to be irradiated or are not to be irradiated and that move as a result of vital functions such as respiration and/or heartbeat even when the anatomical body is otherwise kept deliberately at rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Armin Fürst
  • Patent number: 9204858
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring and analyzing blood flow in vessels in the bodies of living subjects are provided. The true velocity vector, or a projection thereof onto a scan plane, for blood flowing at a location in a vessel is determined from multiple Doppler velocity components. The true velocity vector is displayed as a directional marker on an image comprising the vessel. The true velocity magnitude and angle, and scalar blood flow characteristics derived therefrom, are plotted as a functions of time and/or position across the depiction of the blood vessel in the image. Time intervals for which blood flow characteristic data is displayed and/or determined may be user configurable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ultrasonix Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Laurent Pelissier, Kris Dickie, Bo Zhuang
  • Patent number: 9186086
    Abstract: Small tissue property change detection is provided for magnetic resonance (MR) guided intervention. T1 changes from before and after treatment are compared. The comparison identifies locations of possible change. The comparison is performed for different times, one before and one after a zero-crossing of a signal intensity time curve. Due to the characteristics of the T1 mapping, common locations from the different times will have reversed contrast. Clustering and this reversal are used to distinguish the treatment region from noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christine H. Lorenz, Steven Michael Shea
  • Patent number: 9144421
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating uterine tissue with ultrasound energy. The method manipulates the position of the patient's uterus to decrease its distance from an ultrasound therapy transducer while simultaneously engaging a partially filled bladder such that the bladder is compressed to force any bowel tissue out of an acoustic window between the patient's abdominal wall and uterus. Ultrasound energy is then applied to the uterine tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Mirabilis Medica Inc.
    Inventors: Michael P. H. Lau, David P. Nelson
  • Patent number: 9125589
    Abstract: An ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound probe for transmitting transmit beams and receiving receive beams. A processor controls the ultrasound probe to direct the transmit beams in a first direction to acquire a first incidence frame of data and a second direction to acquire an second incidence frame of data, wherein the first and second directions are different with respect to each other. A tissue characterization module compares the normal and oblique incidence frames of data to determine at least one property parameter of a scanned medium based on amplitude differences between the receive beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Anders Rasmus Sørnes
  • Patent number: 9107698
    Abstract: Presented herein are methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable media for image annotation in image-guided medical procedures. Some embodiments herein allow physicians or other operators to use one or more medical devices in order to define annotations in 3D space. These annotations may later be displayed to the physician or operator in 3D space in the position in which they were first drawn or otherwise generated. In some embodiments, the operator may use various available medical devices, such as needles, scalpels, or even a finger in order to define the annotation. Embodiments herein may allow an operator to more conveniently and efficiently annotate visualizable medical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: InnerOptic Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharif Razzaque, Andrei State
  • Patent number: 8983572
    Abstract: A system and method provides for determining patient eligibility for receiving an implantable upper airway stimulation system. Images and sensed data are obtained regarding an upper airway of a patient. Based on the obtained image and sensed data, an obstruction vector is determined according to a location, a pattern, and a degree of obstruction along the upper airway. A patient candidate filter is applied against a patient health profile. Patient eligibility is determined based on the obstruction vector and application of the patient candidate filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Quan Ni
  • Patent number: 8956301
    Abstract: Frame rate and/or line density are controlled in contrast agent medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging. The number of lines scanned per second (e.g., frame rate and/or line density) is set based on the differences in contrast agent response. Where the contrast agent response is changing rapidly, more frequent scanning and/or denser scanning is performed. Where the contrast agent response is not changing or changing slowly, less frequent scanning and/or less dense scanning is performed. By linking the number of scan lines per second of the scanning adaptively with the contrast agent response, the destruction of contrast agents may be reduced while providing information when needed for diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Roee Lazebnik
  • Patent number: 8932222
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave at a group of a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators arranged in an array form to and from a subject and incorporating a preamplifier groups for amplifying the resulting weak ultrasonic echo received after obtaining tissue information about the subject. The ultrasonic vibrator group has a first area to which a first amplifier group is to be connected and a second preamplifier group to which a second amplifier group is to be connected. In an operating mode to cease the first preamplifier group from operating, a control circuit switches to supply the bias current being supplied to the first preamplifier group over to the second preamplifier group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Hironobu Hongou
  • Patent number: 8897854
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods of identifying bipolar disorder in a person. One such method includes acquiring 31P spectroscopic imaging data from a region of interest in a brain of the person and subsequently analyzing the 31P spectroscopic imaging data to obtain a signal intensity and a concentration for one or more phosphorus metabolites. A reduced concentration the one or more phosphorus metabolites, such as inorganic phosphate, in the brain can indicate bipolar disorder in the person. Frontal lobe inorganic phosphate concentration in medication-free adolescents can indicate bipolar depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Perry F. Renshaw, Douglas G. Kondo
  • Patent number: 8880148
    Abstract: A treatment process of radiological images is provided. The process comprises obtaining at least one set of images. For each set, the process comprises: segmenting an at least one first image to obtain an at least one first segmented image and to detect a plurality of arteries of the region of interest and an at least one second image to obtain an at least one second segmented image and to detect and isolate the tool; defining in the at least one first segmented image a plurality of lines, wherein each line defines an artery; determining, from the second segmented image and the defined lines, an artery of interest corresponding to the artery in which a tool has been inserted; and applying a quantitative analysis algorithm of coronary lesions to the artery of interest to detect lesion of the artery of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Regis Vaillant, Sebastien Gorges, Vincent Bismuth
  • Patent number: 8864673
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasound probe including a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer; an ultrasound observation apparatus, and a reception circuit; a transmission ultrasound transducer and a reception ultrasound transducer included in the capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer, the transmission ultrasound transducer including a plurality of transmission capacitive cells, and the reception ultrasound transducer including a plurality of reception capacitive cells; a transmission signal cable connecting the transmission ultrasound transducer and the transmission circuit; a reception signal cable connecting the reception ultrasound transducer and the reception circuit; a first matching section and a second matching section that perform electrical impedance matching for the ultrasound transmission signal and the ultrasound reception signal, the first matching section and the second matching section being provided for a predetermined transmission region and a predeterm
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miyake
  • Patent number: 8845541
    Abstract: An ultrasonic medical device can include a transducer, a coupling system, and a waveguide. The coupling system can be configured to attach and adequately torque the waveguide to the transducer for use in a medical procedure. The coupling system can be configured to detach the inner probe from the transducer upon completion of the medical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Cybersonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Gregory Strunk, Jeffrey J. Vaitekunas, Jeremy Louis Hemingway
  • Patent number: 8834373
    Abstract: A technique for an ultrasonographic device that can obtain respective rendering images for a plurality of regions of a 3D space is disclosed. According to the technique, a transmission beam former generates an ultrasonic beam for scanning a plurality of regions of interest and drives a matrix array. When a reception beam former generates a plurality of beam forming signals, respectively corresponding to the regions of interest, in accordance with reception signals of the matrix array generated by reflection wave from the respective regions of interest, a signal processing unit processes the beam forming signals and, with a viewpoint set for each of the regions of interest as a standard, generates respective rendering images of the plurality of regions of interest. A display unit displays the rendering images in parallel. A control unit carries out setting of the plurality of regions of interest and the viewpoints, by an external operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fukukita, Hisashi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 8818491
    Abstract: A system for Non-Contrast Agent enhanced MR imaging, includes an MR image acquisition device that acquires first and second datasets representing first and second image slabs individually comprising multiple image slices acquired at fast and slow blood flow portions of a heart cycle and oriented substantially perpendicular in at least one axis to direction of vasculature blood flow, in response to a heart cycle synchronization signal. An image data processor processes imaging datasets representing the first and second image slabs to provide first and second volume datasets representing a 3D volume imaged at the fast blood flow portion and the slow blood flow portion respectively and for providing a difference dataset representing an image difference between the first and second volume datasets and enhancing arterial blood flow. A display processor provides data representing an image showing the enhanced arterial blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Jian Xu