Abstract: A multi-part medical marker (1) comprising a marker core consisting of at least two corresponding parts (2a, 2b) and comprising a detectable surface, wherein the surface is substantially formed from a detectable coating (4) which is applied to the surface (3) of the parts (2a, 2b) of the marker core (2). An apparatus for producing a medical marker comprising a marker core (?2) and a detectable surface, comprises: —a first feeding device (16) for providing the marker core (2); —an application device (17) for applying a detectable layer to the surface (3) of the marker core (2); and—a transport device (18) for transporting the marker core (2) within the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) system for capturing an MR Elastography measurement of a biological lifeform may include a platform; a gel pad on a surface of the platform; and a sensor array. In some embodiments, the sensor array includes at least one ultrasound transducer, and at least one radiofrequency (RF) transmitter and receiver coil. The sensor array is at least partially embedded within the gel pad, and the gel pad is configured to provide mechanical impedance matching between the at least one ultrasound transducer and the biological lifeform. In some embodiments, a system includes the apparatus and an MR system, the MR system including an ultrasonic wave generator, an interface circuit, and a computing device. In some such embodiments, the ultrasonic wave generator is configured to generate one or more shear waves in the biological lifeform.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for detecting an internal object in a body. The system includes at least one antenna pair including two antennas which are adapted to be symmetrically positioned around the body in relation to a line of symmetry. The system is adapted to transmit microwave signal into the body which are reflected and/or scattered from the internal object. The system is adapted to receive the reflected and/or scattered microwave signals, and to compare the received microwave signals at the symmetrically positioned antennas. The system is adapted to detect the internal object or a change in an already detected internal object when there is a difference between the received microwave signals at symmetric antenna pairs. The difference is related to the different dielectric properties between the internal object and the body.

Abstract: A tracker, a surgical tool system, a surgical navigation system, and a method for operating a surgical navigation system are provided. The tracker is configured to be associated with a patient or a surgical tool that is to be tracked by the surgical navigation system. The tracker comprises an optical fibre having a longitudinal extension and configured to be optically coupled to a light source such that the optical fibre transmits light emitted by the light source. The optical fibre has a lateral surface along its longitudinal extension and is configured to emit light via at least a portion of the lateral surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods that may be used to assist clinicians in locating lesions during an ultrasound exam that were previously located from images acquired by another imaging system, for example, a magnetic resonance imaging system. A lesion location interface is disclosed that provides visual indications of predicted lesion locations on a display. The predicted lesion locations may be determined by a deformation model included in an ultrasound imaging system as disclosed herein.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a CT imaging method of coronary artery and a computer-readable storage medium, the method comprising: generating and outputting a global optimal phase image of a coronary artery; and generating and outputting a local optimal phase image of a particular trunk of the coronary artery based on a trunk selection command.

Abstract: A surgical navigation system for providing computer-aided surgery. The surgical navigation system includes a handheld surgical tool with computer-aided navigation, an imaging device, an alignment module, and a user interface module. The handheld surgical tool includes at least one sensor for measuring a position of the tool in three dimensions, and at least one set key. A processor and at least one display device are associated with the handheld surgical tool and configured to display a target trajectory of the handheld surgical tool for the surgical procedure.

Abstract: An endoscopy system including a flexible insertion tube, a motion sensing module and a processor is provided. The flexible insertion tube has a central axis. The motion sensing module includes a housing, patterns and sensors. The patterns are disposed at a surface of the flexible insertion tube according to an axial orientation distribution and an angle distribution based on the central axis. The sensors are disposed in the housing and located beside a guiding hole of the housing. The processor is disposed in the housing. During relative motion of the flexible insertion tube with respect to the motion sensing module via the guiding hole, the sensors are configured to sense a motion state of the patterns so as to obtain a motion-state sensing result. The processor determines insertion depth information and insertion tube rotating angle information according to the motion-state sensing result, the axial orientation distribution and the angle distribution.

Abstract: A system (200) performs a medical procedure in a region of interest of a patient. The system includes an interventional medical device (214) insertable into the region of interest, and a sensor (215) attached to a portion of the interventional device, the sensor being configured to convert an ultrasonic wave from an ultrasound imaging probe (211) to a corresponding electrical radio frequency (RF) signal. The corresponding RF signal is received by a wireless receiver (209) outside the region of interest, enabling determination of a location of the sensor within the region of interest.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for navigating a tool inside a luminal network. An exemplary method includes receiving image data of a patient's chest, identifying the patient's lungs, determining locations of a luminal network in the patient's lungs, identifying a target location in the patient's lungs, generating a pathway to the target location, generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's lungs, the 3D model showing the luminal network in the patient's lungs and the pathway to the target location, determining a location of a tool based on an electromagnetic (EM) sensor included in the tool as the tool is navigated within the patient's chest, displaying a view of the 3D model showing the determined location of the tool, receiving cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image data of the patient's chest, updating the 3D model based on the CBCT image data, and displaying a view of the updated 3D model.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an emitter assembly comprising a single electromagnetic radiation source for visualizing a surgical site. The emitter assembly comprises a light valve assembly that is coupled to a control circuit. The emitter assembly is configured to emit visible light, infrared radiation, or a combination thereof in either structured or unstructured formats. The control circuit is configured to control the light valve assembly to control which emitter of the emitter assembly is emitting electromagnetic radiation. The light valve assembly can include light valves for controlling whether an emitter receives electromagnetic radiation. Further, the control circuit can control the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source in accordance with which emitter is receiving electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A system for instrument guidance is disclosed. The system can include an instrument guide device and a transducer system. The instrument guide device can include an instrument guide and an instrument guide bracket that includes a magnet, and the instrument guide bracket can be removably attachable to the instrument guide. The transducer system can include an ultrasound probe bracket that is removably attachable to an ultrasound probe. Further, the instrument guide device can removably attach to the ultrasound probe bracket. The ultrasound probe bracket can further include a first sensor and second sensor. The first sensor can wirelessly track a position of the magnet to determine position data of the instrument guidance system. And the second sensor can provide power or disengage power to the instrument guidance device when the instrument guide is attached or detached, respectively.

Abstract: A system for visualization and quantification of ultrasound imaging data may include a display unit, and a processor communicatively coupled to the display unit and to an ultrasound imaging apparatus for generating an image from ultrasound data representative of a bodily structure and fluid flowing within the bodily structure. The processor may be configured to generate vector field data corresponding to the fluid flow, wherein the vector field data comprises axial and lateral velocity components of the fluid, extract spatiotemporal information from the vector field data at one or more user-selected points within the image, and cause the display unit to concurrently display the spatiotemporal information at the one or more user-selected points with the image including a graphical representation of the vector field data overlaid on the image, wherein the spatiotemporal information includes at least one of a magnitude and an angle of the fluid flow.

Abstract: A workflow is disclosed to accurately register ultrasound imaging to co-modality imaging. The ultrasound imaging is segmented with a convolutional neural network to detect a surface of the object. The ultrasound imaging is calibrated to reflect a variation in propagation speed of the ultrasound waves through the object by minimizing a cost function that sums the differences between the first and second steered frames, and compares the first and second steered frames of the ultrasound imaging with a third frame of the ultrasound imaging that is angled between the first and second steered frames. The ultrasound imaging is temporarily calibrated with respect to a tracking coordinate system by creating a point cloud of the surface and calculating a set of projection values of the point cloud to a vector. The ultrasound imaging, segmented and calibrated, is automatically registered to the co-modality imagine.

Abstract: An approach is provided for image guided procedures. The approach includes acquiring image data of at least one object of a subject, in which the acquired image data is registered to one or more coordinate systems. The approach includes receiving the acquired image data. The approach includes displaying, on one or more smartglasses, one or more superimposed images over a portion of the subject. The one or more superimposed images may be related to the acquired image data. The approach includes aligning the one or more superimposed images to correspond with a position of the at least one object.

Abstract: A catheter is disclosed comprising a sheath surrounding an inner lumen. The inner lumen is configured to receive a fluid. The sheath includes a sheath portion that comprises a hydrophilic material, wherein the hydrophilic material is in direct contact with the fluid. The hydrophilic material helps resist formation of air bubbles along the inner lumen.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer (200) includes: a piezoelectric vibrator assembly (10), an acoustic matching layer (20), a heat sink (30), and an acoustic absorption layer (40). The heat sink (30) comprises a body (31), and a head portion (32) and a tail portion (33). The body (31) has a central axis extending in a direction from the head portion (32) to the tail portion (33). A surface of the tail portion (33) of the heat sink (30) disposed away from the head portion (32) is a first surface (331). The first surface (331) is an oblique surface or a tapered surface. The angle between the first surface (331) and the central axis is an acute angle. The acoustic absorption layer (40) at least covers the first surface (331).

Abstract: Described here are systems and method for using ultrasound to localize a medical device to which an active ultrasound element that can transmits ultrasound energy is attached. Doppler signal data of the medical device are acquired while the active element is transmitting acoustic energy, and the Doppler signal data are processed to detect symmetric Doppler shifts associated with the active element. The systems and methods described in the present disclosure enable tracking and display of one or more locations on or associated with the medical device.

Abstract: A T1-weighted turbo-spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging system configured to capture data associated with a subject's heart during a time period and produce MR images has a dark-blood preparation module, a data capture module, and an image reconstruction module. The dark-blood preparation module performs dark-blood preparation through double inversion during some, but not all of the heartbeats within the time period. The data capture module configured performs data readouts to capture imaging data of an imaging slice during every heartbeat in which dark-blood preparation is performed. The data capture module also performs a steady state maintenance step during every heartbeat in which dark-blood preparation is not performed in order to maintain maximum T1-weighting. The image reconstruction module configured to reconstruct a T1-weighted image based on the imaging data.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an improved actuator to compensate for a weight of an input/output device. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a main body, an input/output device coupled to the main body and configured to receive information from a user or output information received from the main body, and a connection device to connect the main body and the input/output device, wherein the connection device includes a shaft having a shaft body, a link frame having a frame body and a shaft coupling portion extending from the frame body to be coupled with the shaft, and an actuator including a torsion spring having a first end supported by the shaft and a second end supported by the link frame, so as to compensate for a weight of the input/output device.