Abstract: Optical changes of tissue during wound healing measured by Near Infrared and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy are shown to correlate with histologic changes. Near Infrared absorption coefficient correlated with blood vessel in-growth over time, while Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) data correlated with collagen concentration. Changes of optical properties of wound tissue at greater depths are also quantified by Diffuse Photon Density Wave (DPDW) methodology at near infrared wavelengths. The diffusion equation for semi-infinite media is used to calculate the absorption and scattering coefficients based on measurements of phase and amplitude with a frequency domain or time domain device. An increase in the absorption and scattering coefficients and a decrease in blood saturation of the wounds compared to the non wounded sites was observed. The changes correlated with the healing stage of the wound.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring ultrasound data of a region-of-interest including an interventional device with a probe, identifying a position of the interventional device with respect to the probe, and identifying a shadow region within the region-of-interest based on the position of the interventional device. The system and method includes identifying a subset of the ultrasound data acquired from the shadow region, generating an image including a graphical indicator identifying a shadow region area generated from the subset of the ultrasound data, and displaying the image.

Abstract: The system and method of the present application includes an image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system, combined with a medical ventilator, to form a closed-loop system to optimize treatment of a tumor for patients who cannot comply with a normal respiratory management procedure. The ventilator may be used to generate respiratory maneuvers to facilitate clean images for dose planning, so that clinicians can more clearly visualize a target with fewer of the image artifacts associated with respiratory motion. The combined IGRT and ventilation systems approach facilitates treatment of specific organs most susceptible to respiratory motion artifact, and helps minimize the doses to the heart in left-breast treatments. Improved positioning of the anatomical target structures for exposure to external beam radiation may be accomplished through combinations of respiratory-gating, respiratory pause, and selective right or left lung mechanical ventilator techniques.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring thicknesses of materials of multilayered structure. This method includes transmitting one or more ultrasound signals including different frequencies into a multilayered structure consisting of two or more materials with one or more ultrasound transducers, measuring materials, acoustic properties for which are different at the frequencies in use, measuring ultrasound signals reflected from the front surface and back surface of the multilayered structure with one or more ultrasound transducer and determining thicknesses of the materials within multilayered structure from the reflected ultrasound signals.

Abstract: When generating a projection image which is an image formed of image information on a plurality of visual lines viewing a first structure in a three-dimensional medical image from a given viewpoint being projected on a given projection plane, setting an assumed position of a treatment tool in the three-dimensional image, detecting a surface of the first structure from the three-dimensional medical image, identifying a second structure in the three-dimensional medical image located at a position masked by the first structure, detecting an intersection point between an assumed path formed when the treatment tool is moved from the assumed position towards the second structure and the surface of the first structure, and displaying the intersection point in an identifiable manner at a position to which image information on a visual line connecting the viewpoint and the intersection point is projected.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer system for treating a portion of tissue. The ultrasonic transducer system includes a frequency generator, an ultrasonic transducer, and a transmitter element. The transducer receives an AC voltage from the frequency generator and produces an ultrasonic energy pulse at an ultrasonic frequency for a pulse width. The transmitter element is coupled to the transducer and is for irradiating a portion of skin tissue. The transmitter element has a chilled surface in contact with the skin tissue and an acoustic aperture for producing a substantially collimated energy beam. The beam has a width greater than 4 mm.

Abstract: Needle guide systems for a sonography device are disclosed. The needle guide systems include both fixed and adjustable needle guides. In one embodiment, the needle guide includes a needle guide body that is rotatably mounted to a probe of a sonography device. A plurality of needle channels is disposed on a surface of the needle guide body. Each needle channel can be selectively rotated into position to guide a needle into a body of a patient at a predetermined needle insertion angle. If another needle insertion angle is desired, the needle guide is rotated to place a new needle channel defining the desired needle insertion angle into position.

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.

Abstract: In general, according to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an image generating unit configured to generate medical images from a multislice which covers an area including the heart of an object. Each slice is almost perpendicular to the long axis of the heart. Each medical image is a short-axis image of the heart. A series of medical images captured at different times correspond to each slice. The embodiment generates a polar map associated with myocardial motion indices from a plurality of medical images. A polar map is segmented into segments. The embodiment calculates the average value of motion indices for each segment. The utility of an average value depends on the range covered by each segment. This embodiment matches the boundary of a segment with the position of a vein. This prevents a deterioration in the utility of average values due to the influences of veins.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided with an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic image generating section, a head mounted display (HMD), and an orientation measurement section. The ultrasonic probe has two-dimensionally arranged ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonic image generating section generates a 2D ultrasonic image representing a cross section of a three-dimensional area inside of a patient's body. The HMD has an orientation sensor for outputting signals corresponding to motion of the HMD and a projector for projecting images and the like within the view of an operator Op. The orientation measurement section measures rotation direction and rotation angle of the operator Op's head (HMD). A plurality of cross sections of the three-dimensional area inside of the patient's body for which the 2D image is generated is preliminary set, and the generated 2D ultrasonic image is switched according to the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the HMD.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods enabling the improved noninvasive measurement of electric currents flowing in the body of a human being or animal or in a biological sample by way of a modular array of primary source mirrors and a magnetometer.

Abstract: In an examination section of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic transducer (UT) unit, a shape measurement unit, and a belt conveyor for moving the UT unit and the shape measurement unit parallel to an object to be viewed are provided. The UT unit has an UT array constituted of five ultrasonic transducers UTa to UTe arranged on a curved convex surface. The UT unit performs ultrasonic scanning of the object C to be viewed. The shape measurement unit has a laser light source and a light receiver, and measures a shape of the object C to be viewed. Based on the result of the shape measurement, a main controller of a processor selectively drives the UT, which could apply the ultrasonic wave vertically to the object C to be viewed, among the UTa to UTe, according to the moved position of the UT unit.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus scans a region including a predetermined part of a subject to acquire magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a plurality of coil elements, a calculation device for calculating a proportion of the predetermined part to a first scan region of a first subject and a position of the predetermined part, based on magnetic resonance signals acquired from the first scan region, a prediction device for predicting a region of the predetermined part from within a second scan region of a second subject, based on the proportion and position of the predetermined part related to the first subject, the proportion and position being calculated by the calculation device, and a coil element selection device for selecting at least one coil element used to receive each magnetic resonance signal in the second scan region from within the coil elements, based on the region of the predetermined part predicted by the prediction device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus which acquires tomographic image information of a subject to which a contrast agent is administered, and displays the tomographic image information, includes an administration time timer which is started up while the acquisition is being performed and which measures a time that elapses from a time of the start-up to which a predetermined offset time is added, and an offset time setting device which sets the offset time to the administration time timer when the start-up is performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for matching a characteristic of multiple sectors of a moving tissue to verify an overlap thereof are disclosed herein. In an exemplary method, tissue data for at least a first sector and a second sector of a moving tissue is acquired. A characteristic of at least a portion of the first and second sectors is estimated from the acquired tissue data, and the estimated characteristics are matched to verify whether a portion of the first sector overlaps with a portion of the second sector. Estimating can include estimating a displacement such as an axial displacement and/or lateral displacements. Estimating can further include estimating a strain, a velocity, a strain rate and/or a stiffness or equivalent.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including a transmitting and receiving unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound waves and from a plurality of planes of a subject by an ultrasonic probe, and an image signal generation unit configured to execute image processing on the basis of received signal from the transmitting and receiving unit and to generate image signals for ultrasound images indicating each of the planes, wherein the transmitting and receiving unit or the image signal generation unit as configured to execute transmitting and receiving or image processing with respect to one of the planes in a condition that is different with respect to another of the planes.

Abstract: A system and method of tracking a medical device and generating an image of a target area. The medical device includes a tracking device to create an imaging field-of-view that extends beyond the tip of the medical device while allowing the tip of the medical device to be visualized. The medical device further includes an imaging/visualization device to create an imaging field from the point of view of the medical device. A voltage standing wave suppression device is formed on the exterior surface of the medical device to prevent the formation of voltage standing waves and localized tissue heating. The voltage standing wave suppression device includes two cable traps spaced apart from one another with each cable trap being formed of a closely packed coiled region of a conductor extending the length of the medical device.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic wave diagnosis instrument. The ultrasonic wave Doppler diagnosis instrument transmits an ultrasonic continuous wave in a range direction and receives a reflective wave of the ultrasonic continuous wave. The ultrasonic wave Doppler diagnosis instrument includes: a modulation unit that subjects the ultrasonic continuous wave to frequency modulation such that a phase is varied in accordance with the distance of the range direction; a demodulation unit that demodulates the reflective wave for each range of the range direction while interlocking with the frequency modulation, and generates a reception signal in the range in a separated state; and a presentation unit that presents information by using a signal of a Doppler component based on the reception signal.

Abstract: At least one example embodiment relates to a method and/or a device for automatically differentiating types of kidney stones using computed tomography. The method provides two image data records of two computed tomography pictures of an object area including the kidney stones that have been recorded in the context of a different spectral distribution of the X-radiation. For each voxel of a slice of the object area that has X-ray attenuation values typical of kidney stones there is calculated from the two image data records a ratio r that is yielded from X-ray attenuation values of the voxel and prescribed X-ray attenuation values of pure urine in the context of the different spectral distributions of the X-radiation. The respective voxel is assigned to one of at least two types of kidney stones as a function of the variable r.

Abstract: Adaptive persistence processing on elastic images in an ultrasound system is disclosed. An ultrasound data acquisition unit sequentially acquires a plurality of ultrasound data frames based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object by repeatedly applying and releasing stress to/from the target object. A processing unit calculates inter-frame displacements of the frames between the ultrasound data frames to form elastic images. The processing unit adaptively performs persistence processing on the elastic images in consideration of application or release of the stress to/from the target object.