Patents Examined by Rochelle Turchen
  • Patent number: 9220478
    Abstract: A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging (MAUI) probe or transducer is uniquely capable of simultaneous imaging of a region of interest from separate apertures of ultrasound arrays. Some embodiments provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound probes having continuous arrays of ultrasound transducers which may have a substantially continuous concave curved shape in two or three dimensions (i.e., concave relative to an object to be imaged). Other embodiments herein provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound imaging probes having other unique configurations, such as adjustable probes and probes with variable configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: MAUI IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Smith, Donald F. Specht, Linda V. Cabrera, Kenneth D. Brewer, David J. Specht
  • Patent number: 9213086
    Abstract: A system performs ultrasound parameter estimation at specific advantageous sets of points in a two- or three-dimensional field of view within re-configurable, massively parallel, programmable architectures. A power efficient system is used for processing the data, thereby increasing the ability of the system for mobile ultrasound applications. Various architectural aspects provide the ability to simultaneously accept a large number of channels of data characterized by a continuous, simultaneous flow at high sample rates. The input data is routed at high rates to a distributed and large number of processing elements, memory, and connections for simultaneous parameter estimation at multiple points in the field of view, thereby enabling data streaming through the architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, inc.
    Inventors: Juin-Jet Hwang, Clinton T. Siedenburg, Ramachandra Pailoor, Mitchell Kaplan, Garet G. Nenninger
  • Patent number: 9204819
    Abstract: The invention relates to the guidance, positioning and placement confirmation of intravascular devices, typically inserted percutaneously into the venous or arterial vasculature. An aspect of the invention includes, for example, an endovenous access and guidance system. The system comprises: an elongate flexible member adapted and configured to access the venous vasculature of a patient; a sensor disposed at a distal end of the elongate flexible member and configured to provide in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the venous vasculature of the patient; a processor configured to receive and process in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the venous vasculature of the patient provided by the sensor and to provide position information regarding the position of the distal end of the elongate flexible member within the venous vasculature of the patient; and an output device adapted to output the position information from the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: VASONOVA, INC.
    Inventors: Sorin Grunwald, Bradley Hill
  • Patent number: 9198600
    Abstract: The invention relates to the guidance, positioning and placement confirmation of intravascular devices typically inserted percutaneously into the venous or arterial vasculature. An endovenous access and guidance system is described that includes an elongate flexible member adapted and configured to access the venous vasculature of a patient; a sensor disposed at a distal end of the elongate flexible member and configured to provide in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the venous vasculature of the patient; a processor configured to receive and process in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the venous vasculature of the patient provided by the sensor and to provide position information regarding the position of the distal end of the elongate flexible member within the venous vasculature of the patient; and an output device adapted to output the position information from the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Vasonova, Inc.
    Inventors: Sorin Grunwald, Bradley Hill
  • Patent number: 9149203
    Abstract: Methods for achieving suppression of blood pool signal to image contrast-enhanced organs and vascular walls using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technology. After administration of e.g., an intravenous contrast agent, an RF pulse sequence is applied that includes a preparatory section designed to modify signal from organ tissue differently than blood pool signal, followed by an inversion RF pulse. MR signals are then allowed to evolve during a wait time that is sufficiently long to permit tissue species with dissimilar T1 relaxation times to separate in signal yet short enough so that blood signal has greater negative magnetization than other tissues of interest. MRI data is then acquired with phase sensitive reconstruction so that blood pool signal is suppressed compared with the tissues of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventor: Raymond J. Kim
  • Patent number: 9138204
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to acquiring image data of a subject with an imaging system that has been calibrated. The imaging system can include an ultrasound imaging system that collects one of more images based on a plane of image acquisition. The plane of image acquisition can be calibrated to a tracking device associated with the ultrasound transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew W. Koenig, Andrew Bzostek, Jawad Mokhtar, Danail G. Danailov
  • Patent number: 9131870
    Abstract: Methods for achieving suppression of blood pool signal to image contrast-enhanced organs and vascular walls using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technology. MRI data is then acquired with phase sensitive reconstruction so that blood pool signal is suppressed compared with the tissues of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventor: Raymond J. Kim
  • Patent number: 9135401
    Abstract: A method for automatically scheduling tasks in whole-body computer aided detection/diagnosis (CAD), including: (a) receiving a plurality of tasks to be executed by a whole-body CAD system; (b) identifying a task to be executed, wherein the task to be executed has an expected information gain that is greater than that of each of the other tasks; (c) executing the task with the greatest expected information gain and removing the executed task from further analysis; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for the remaining tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Yiqiang Zhan, Xiang Zhou
  • Patent number: 9089306
    Abstract: A blood vessel ultrasonic image measuring method capable of facilitating the positioning of an ultrasonic probe and acquiring sufficient positioning accuracy. Because of inclusion of an around-X-axis positioning step of causing a multiaxis driving device to position an ultrasonic probe such that distances from respective ultrasonic array probes to the center of a blood vessel are equalized, and an X-axis direction positioning step and an around-Z-axis positioning step of causing the multiaxis driving device to position the ultrasonic probe such that the image of the blood vessel is positioned at the center portion in the width direction of the first short axis image display area and the second short axis image display area, the positioning may be performed by using the positions in the longitudinal direction of the ultrasonic array probes relative to the blood vessel or the distances of the ultrasonic array probes to the blood vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: UNEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikao Harada, Hiroshi Masuda, Hidenori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9078582
    Abstract: Described herein are fetal and/or maternal monitoring devices, systems and methods using UWB medical radar. These devices and systems may include a UWB sensor providing high-resolution and reliable simultaneous monitoring of multiple indicators of fetal and/or maternal health, such as fetal heart rate, fetal heart rate variability, fetal respiration, fetal gross body movement, maternal contractions, maternal heart rate, maternal respiration, and other derivative parameters during virtually all stages of pregnancy and during delivery. The sensor allows novel collection of physiological data using a single sensor or multiple sensors to develop individual and aggregate normal motion indices for use in determining when departure from normal motion index is indicative of fetal or maternal distress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: LifeWave Biomedical, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Paul Tupin, Jr., Joe Paul Tupin, Stephan Stephansen, IV
  • Patent number: 9075907
    Abstract: A medical diagnosis assistance system comprising an image data storage part, a substance distribution information acquiring part, a display part; and a control part. The image data storage part is configured to store image data of a brain function image. The substance distribution information acquiring part is configured to detect the signal from within the brain of a subject and to acquire, based on the detected signal, substance distribution information indicating the distribution of the quantity of specified endogenous substances in each part of the brain. The control part is configured to control the display part to display the brain function image and the image information based on said acquired substance distribution information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9072442
    Abstract: A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The spatial position of the images displayed substantially simultaneously in each time slot may be variably adjusted based on a predetermined criterion. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: GIVEN IMAGING LTD.
    Inventor: Hagai Krupnik
  • Patent number: 9060686
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus which performs diagnosis of a subject to be examined by using an ultrasound probe which emits ultrasound waves and receives the ultrasound waves reflected by the subject, includes a measuring section which measures a motion velocity of local tissue of the subject by using an ultrasound waves transmitted/received by the ultrasound probe, an acquiring section which acquires motion information representing a strain or displacement of the tissue on the basis of the motion velocity, and a calculating section which calculates a parameter value representing a change amount of motion of the tissue with a change in load on the basis of two pieces of motion information acquired by the acquiring section in two load states in which different loads are applied to the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Abe
  • Patent number: 9060737
    Abstract: An image showing the spatial distribution of the hardness of a tissue of an object to be examined from which the influence of the pressure amount is eliminated is displayed. From ultrasonic tomography data measured by pressing the tissue, a physical quantity relating to the distortion of the tissue at measurement points of the tissue is determined. An elasticity image of the tissue is created according to the physical quantity. The physical quantities at the measurement points are indexed by using the physical quantity in a reference region determined in the elasticity image as a reference, and an indexed elasticity image showing the distribution of the index value is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsumura, Toshihiko Kawano